Beer-Battered Onion Rings
Source of Recipe
Aunt Saunny
3 large yellow onions
2 cups milk, chilled
2 cups ice water
Batter:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup beer, at room temperature
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying
Slice the onions crosswise about 1/2 inch thick and then carefully separate the slices into rings. You should have about 8 cups. Place the rings in a wide shallow dish in as few layers as possible. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and ice water. Pour evenly over the onions. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Very carefully turn the rings at least once to soak them evenly. Meanwhile, make the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, dry mustard, and pepper; set aside. In a bowl lightly beat the eggs; whisk in the vegetable oil, and then the beer and Tabasco, mixing well. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture all at once. Using a whisk and starting in the center of the bowl and working outward, whisk until the mixture is free of lumps. Cover and let stand for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight in the refrigerator.
Line 2 baking sheets with a double layer of paper towels. Using tongs, remove the onion rings from the milk mixture, shaking off the excess liquid, and let drain on one of the prepared sheets. Pat the onion rings dry with more paper towels to remove all excess moisture. In a deep-fat fryer or large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in vegetable oil to a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat until the oil registers 375 degrees on a fat frying thermometer, or until a bread cube dropped in browns in about 45 seconds.
Stir the batter. Working in batches and using the tongs, dip the onion rings into the batter, shaking off any access. Quickly but carefully drop them into the hot oil. Fry them turning occasionally with the tongs until they are a deep golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the cooked ones to the other paper towel lined sheet. Cook them all and serve them.
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