Onion Rings
Onions (who'd a thunk it)
Flour
Corn starch
1 egg
Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
We are putting this simple recipe on more for technique than content. We tried for years to produce a satisfactory onion ring with mediocre to poor results. We went through all kinds of batters and methods of creating a good final result and finally happened on the one factor that universally assisted in a good onion ring. The batter we are giving is a simple tempura type that is light and versatile but, again, the simple technique is the key. Have you ever ordered onion rings and bit into a crust that had only a thin, stringy dehydrated piece of onion in the middle? The way to avoid that is to use very large onions, then after you peel them, cut them into four slices maximum. The outer rings tend to be thinner so separate the rings as doubles until you get to the inner rings, which tend to be thicker. Now that you have the rings separated, here comes the BIG technique. Put all the rings into a plastic bag and put a generous amount of flour in with them. You should also put in some salt. Do this at least 30 min. prior to cooking. The onion rings will start emitting a small amount of moisture because of an osmotic process and causes the flour to cling to the surface (salt accelerates this process). This enables whatever batter you use to cling to all the surface of the onion ring. Really this is the end of the story other than to formalize the batter recipe.
Combine 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of corn starch. Mix in any spices and/or herbs you want. Add one egg and add enough milk to make a thin batter (you'll have to wing it but generally 1/2 to 2/3 cup). Preheat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees. Anything hotter will generally blast all the batter off the ring as soon as it hits the oil. Cook until the rings float and then turn golden (you'll have to depend on your interpretation).