Onion Rings Rule!

What is it about a greasy ring of crunchy goodness makes our mouths water and need to have a batch alongside of a burger or grilled sandwich?  Is it the type of onion used or the batter it is drenched in?  Whatever it is, I love onion rings and will drop any side of fries in an instant just to have my plate garnished with this delicacy.  Here are some good old fashion recipes and some with a twist to try out at your next cookout.

Old Fashioned Onion Rings

(courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk, or as needed
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• seasoned salt to taste
• 1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

How To:

• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.
• Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

Emeril’s Fried Onion Rings

(courtesy of Emeril Lagasse – FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1/4 cup Essence, recipe follows
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick rings
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

How To:

• In a bowl, combine the buttermilk with the hot sauce and 2 teaspoons of Essence. Add the onion rings and press to coat. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• In a medium pot, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
• In a shallow bowl or large dish, combine the flour with 2 tablespoons of the Essence. Dredge the onions in the seasoned flour, coating each ring evenly. Shake off any excess flour and carefully place the rings in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning to cook evenly and prevent sticking, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season the fried onion rings with Essence, and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Serve hot.

Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Gluten Free Onion Rings

(courtesy of glutenfreerecipes.wikia.com)

There is little difference between the regular onion rings and gluten free. You can add your own seasonings and make some real gourmet onion rings.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion peeled and sliced
• 2 cups gluten-free flour
• milk (or substitute) added to make a thin batter. (pour slowly until you reach a consistency that is not too thin nor too thick)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of gluten free baking powder

How To:

• Get gluten-free oil hot in skillet pan and add onion/coated mixture to pan.
• Fry until golden brown.

Oven-Fried Onion Rings

Ingredients:

• 2 medium (or 1 large) sweet onions, sliced ½-inch thick
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups crushed potato chips (kettle-cooked chips, if available)
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

How To:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Combine ¼ cup flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a bowl.
• In another bowl combine the buttermilk, egg and additional flour, whisking until a smooth batter is formed.
• In a third bowl, place the crushed potato chips.
• Prepare the onion rings by first dipping a ring into the seasoned flour, then into the batter (let the excess batter drip off), and then coat with the crushed potato chips. As you finish the rings, place them on a large plate. Repeat with all rings.
• Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Drizzle the vegetable oil on the parchment-lined sheet and place in the oven for 8 minutes. Carefully remove the sheet from the oven and tilt to evenly coat with oil.
• Working quickly, place your onion rings on the baking sheet and return to oven. Bake for 8 minutes, then flip onion rings and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown.
• While baking, prepare your dipping sauce!

(Adapted from Not Without Salt)


Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons horseradish
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• Dash ground black pepper
• Dash cayenne pepper

How To:

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

(From CopyKat.com)

Spicy Buffalo Onion Rings and Blue Cheese Dip

(courtesy foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 eggs
• 5 cups 2 percent milk
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix (recommended: Paul Prudhomme’s)
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 2/3 teaspoons salt
• 3 extra-large yellow onions
• Blue Cheese Dip, recipe follows
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced 

How To:

• Fill a large heavy saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of cooking oil and heat over medium-high heat. The oil temperature should be at 350 degrees F when you start frying.

• In a large bowl, mix the eggs and milk; then add the flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly with a hand-held mixer. Strain the mixture to remove any lumps. Add more milk if you want a thinner crust. In a small bowl, mix the Cajun spice mix, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, dry mustard, and salt. Add this spice mixture to the batter. Cut the onions into thick slabs, dunk them in the batter, and fry them, in batches, in the oil until golden brown. Serve the onion rings with the Blue Cheese Dip, sliced carrot, and celery.

Blue Cheese Dip:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced serrano chile peppers
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To:

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce in a side bowl for dipping.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

(courtesy of mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup Sam Adams
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2lbs. yellow onions
• All-purpose flour, as needed for dredging
• 1 quart vegetable oil

How To:

• Combine the cake flour, salt and paprika together. Add in egg and beer and mix just until incorporated. Peel onions and slice in 1/4 -inch slices, then separate into rings. Dredge with all-purpose flour, shaking off the excess.
• Heat oil in 8-quart stock pot to 325°F (a Dutch oven can also be used for frying).
• Dip individual onion rings into the batter, then carefully add each to the hot oil; deep fry until golden brown. Only fry a small batch at a time to promote even cooking and to prevent the oils temperature from dropping too quickly.
• Season with salt as soon as they are removed from the fryer; serve immediately!

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