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Beer-Battered Onion Rings with Horseradish-Dill Dipping Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "In the Kitchen with David" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"Whenever my family and I went out to eat, I ordered onion rings. I had a very specific way of eating them. When I bit into a big crusty ring and the crunchy coating separated from the sweet onion, I had two treats to dip into ketchup! What a lot of people don't know is how easy it is to make onion rings at home. The key is to start with quality onions like Vidalias or Walla Wallas, which are available throughout the summer. I like my fried onion rings crisp and puffy, so I add beer. The bubbles make the batter light and fluffy."

List of Ingredients

Dipping Sauce:
â—¦ 1 cup mayonnaise
â—¦ ¼ cup ketchup
â—¦ 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon paprika
â—¦ 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

Onion Rings:
â—¦ Canola oil for frying
â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 large egg, lightly beaten
â—¦ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
â—¦ â…› teaspoon cayenne
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 12-ounce bottle beer
â—¦ 3 large onions, preferably Vidalia, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rings and separated


Recipe

To make the dipping sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, paprika, and dill in a small bowl. Set aside while cooking the onion rings.

To make the onion rings, clip a deep-frying thermometer to the side of a heavy, deep pot. Add 2 inches of canola oil to the pot and slowly heat the oil to 350° F. While the oil is heating, whisk together the flour, egg, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the beer, stirring until a thick batter forms.

Dredge the onion slices in the batter. Using tongs, add 4 or 5 onion rings to the hot oil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown. Turn them halfway through cooking. (Cook the onion rings in batches or the oil won't stay hot and the onion rings will be soggy rather than crisp.) Again, using tongs, remove the fried onions to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Cook the remaining batter-dipped onion rings. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Makes 4 servings