Onion Rings

Do you like onion rings?  My husband loves them.  He thinks of himself as a onion ring expert.  As far as I know, if it’s on a menu, my husband will try them.

Personally, I’m more picky when it comes to onion rings.  I suppose you can think of me as firmly in the camp of liking them.  I don’t love them, that’s for sure.  I also only like certain kinds.  My husband, on the other hand, really enjoys the onion rings from White Castle.  Do I need to say more?  Does that paint a pretty good picture in your mind?

Months ago we were out and about shopping.  We stopped in my favorite store, Williams Sonoma, and they were sampling onion rings.  I’ve already shared with you my husband’s love of the rings, but he also loves free samples.  The man loves Costco on the weekend for the samples.  I don’t sample.  It’s a germ thing, for one.  It’s also my marketing background.  I know what they are doing, and although I applaud it, I don’t want to be sucked in to the whole thing.  All food is good when presented in the right light.

We came home from shopping and my husband would not stop talking about those onion rings, and because he’s mine, I made them.  And made them.  Seriously, these are so tasty.  The recipe calls for buttermilk and I’ve made it with and without.  I also don’t drain the onions in a colander.  I just keep them in the milk until I’m ready to add them to the batter.

Onion Rings

• 2-3 large Onions, cut into slices 1-inch thick and separated  (Vidalia is best, but any good yellow onion is fine)
• 4-6 C Milk or Buttermilk
• Peanut Oil for frying
• 2 1/2 C Flour
• 1/3 C Cornstarch
• 1 1/2 t Salt (I used Truffle Salt)
• 3/4 t Baking Soda
• 2 Eggs
• 2 T Dijon Mustard
• 2 2/3 C Beer, the darker the better

Place the rings in a large ziplock bag and add enough milk/buttermilk to coat them.  Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight.

Prep a deep frying pan with enough oil to fry the onions.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda.  In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, mustard and beer.  Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture until it is a nice thick batter.

Drain the onions in a colander.  I don’t do this, I keep them in the bag until I’m ready to dip them.  I just let them drain well before dipping.  Place a handful of onion in the batter and stir to coat.  Remove the onions, one at a time, and let the excess drip off.  Add the rings to the pan and fry, turning occasionally.  I add about 5 to 6 rings to the pan, depending on their size.  Don’t over crowd the pan.  Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown, and then transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet.  You can sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.  I don’t.

These pair well with hamburgers, hot dogs and a great panini.  Or serve them as an appetizer with your favorite dip.  We like our dip with mayo, french dressing and horseradish.

These make a generous amount of onion rings that easily freeze.  Reheat the leftovers on a cookie sheet in a 350 degrees oven for 10 to 15 minutes, if the rings are still frozen adjust your time.

Here’s the original.