Onion rings are an indulgent appetizer.
Fannie Farmer's fried onion recipe appeared in 1908 in the Fort Wayne, Indiana Sentinel. Farmer did not claim to have invented the recipe, documents Barry Popik, editor of the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Variations on her simple recipe have graced tables and filled snack machines around the world. Whether dipped in beer batter or buttermilk and coated in flour, cornmeal or teff, fried onion rings are an indulgence.
Instructions
1. Cut off each end off the onions and remove the first layer of skin. Cut each onion into slices 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Separate the rings into a bowl. Cover with 2 cups buttermilk and 1 cup beer, and soak overnight.
2. Heat sunflower or canola oil to 450 degrees F in a 6-qt. stockpot; measure the temperature using your deep fry thermometer.
3. Mix the cornmeal, flour, spices and salt together on a large, flat platter or baking sheet. Dredge each onion ring in flour on both sides.
4. Drop onion rings into the hot oil one at a time. Overcrowding the oil will make your onions mushy.
5. Turn each ring over once, with a slotted metal spoon or wire dip strainer/ladle, once it puffs and rises to the top of the pot. Remove onions from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve alone as an appetizer, or top burgers with two to three onion rings and a teaspoon of barbecue sauce.
Tags: onion rings, each onion, fried onion, rings into
