pam's variations on a theme - onion rings
As my Dad used to say, "I have a Hankering for some onion rings!" I take after him in that I love all things onion. Haven't made onion rings in ages because I could never get the batter right. And, I don't like the commercial ones that are just slippery onion worms inside of a loose crust. (You know what I mean. You bite into them and the whole onion slides right out?) Well, I found a recipe on the net and changed it up a little with some extra spices and a touch of cornmeal. Then when I was convinced I had a real winner, I put them to the test and made Cheesy O Rings. WOOHOO.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
Crunchy and flavorful, we couldn't stop munching on these onion rings. Chili powder and cayenne seasoning add a punch of flavor. Panko crumbs add a wonderful crunch to the coating. In no way are these doughy. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce for a tasty side dish or snack.
Ingredients For pam's variations on a theme - onion rings
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2 to 3 smonions, (3-inch diameter) use larger onions for a large batch
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1/4 call-purpose flour
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2 1/2 Tbspcorn starch
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1 Tbspinstant mashed potato flakes (I use Ore Ida)
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1 to 2 dashcayenne pepper or to taste
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1/8 to 1/4 tspmild chili powder (use hot if you like spicy)
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1/2 ccold soda water or warm beer or the uncola
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3 cPanko bread crumbs
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1/4 ccornmeal
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enough neutral flavored oil for frying
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salt or for the variation Vermont cheese powder (see link in steps)
How To Make pam's variations on a theme - onion rings
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1Peel and slice your onions and separate into rings. Sprinkle with a little flour and toss to coat very lightly. Place in a bowl or on paper towels til needed. -
2In a medium-sized shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, potato flakes, and seasonings (except salt). Whisk your chosen bubbly liquid into the dry mixture well. It will appear thin but will thicken up from the potato flakes. Set aside until needed.
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3In another shallow bowl or pie plate, mix the Panko crumbs and cornmeal. Set up your frying station next to the stove or fryer. Onion rings first, batter next and then crumbs closest to the fryer.
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4Place a wire cooling rack over/into a jelly roll pan and place in the oven at "Keep Warm" or 150°F. Heat oil to 365-375°F in either a deep fryer or a deep, narrow saucepan.
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5Dip a few of the onion rings into the batter and use a fork. Remove from batter and let any excess drip off. Place on the Panko crumb mixture and with a DRY fork turn the rings to coat with crumbs.
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6Using either the dry fork or your fingers, drop the rings carefully into the hot oil. Turn the rings once when they get lightly golden.
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7Remove when fully golden and place on the prepared cooling rack. (I put them on a few folded paper towels until I had several batches fried and then transferred them to the rack in the oven.) As an alternative method, you could dip and coat the rings and then place them on the cooling rack to hold them to fry at a later time. This way you could do the "messy" part first and then turn your attention to frying.
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8After frying, either salt lightly or sprinkle heavily with Cheddar Cheese Powder and toss to coat. (I bought some bright yellow-orange cheese powder from a local store, but I prefer the Vermont cheese powder from King Arthur Flour - http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/vermont-cheese-powder-8-oz This makes a small batch, enough for 2 hungry onion eaters or 4 appetizers. For a family, I would at least double these amounts.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
