Fried Onion Rings
“The only reason to eat a burger is for the Onion Rings on the side.”
Ingredients
- 1 C. Buttermilk
- 1 tsp Hot Pepper Sauce such as tabasco
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 C. Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt might try a little less
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Corn Meal
- 1 Large Sweet Onion
- 3 C. Peanut Oil or Canola
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position, set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, place the baking sheet in oven, and heat the oven to 250° F.
- (Note: Keep liquid ingredients separate from dry ingredients)
- With a fork, combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Using a clean fork, combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a shallow baking dish.
- Peel and cut the onion into 1/4” thick slices. Separate the onion slices into rings.
- Dip the rings in the buttermilk and shake off the excess liquid. Dredge the rings in the flour mixture, shake off the excess, and gently place the rings on a second wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat until all the rings are coated. Overlap the rings if necessary.
- Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Meanwhile, heat oil to 400° F. (Measured with an instant-read thermometer) over medium-high heat in a large, 8-quart, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with a diameter is approximately 12”.
- Add the onions to form a single layer on the oil’s surface and cook until golden brown, no more that 3 minutes. (oil temperature should not slip below 375° F. You may need to adjust stove’s heat to maintain the temperature.) Using tongs, transfer the onions to the paper towel-lined plate. Let stand 2 minutes to drain, then carefully transfer to the rack in the warm oven. Replace the paper towels on the plate. Return the oil to 400°F. and fry the remaining onions, transferring them to the paper towel-lined plate to drain, then to the wire rack in the oven for each batch.
- Serve onion rings hot from the oven.
