By Tracey
Beer-Battered Onion Rings
from Cook’s Country
Ingredients:
- 2 sweet onions, peeled
- 3 cups beer, divided
- 2 teaspoons malt or cider vinegar
- peanut or canola oil, for frying
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions:
Cut the onions into 1/2-inch-thick rounds – you don’t have to separate the slices into layers, it’s fine to leave them just as they are when you slice them. Add the onion rounds, 2 cups of the beer, the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a large resealable plastic bag. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours (don’t let them go beyond 2 hours, they’ll soften too much).
Add enough oil to a large Dutch oven to come to a depth of about 2 inches. Set over medium-high heat and heat to 350 F on a candy thermometer. Preheat oven to 200 F.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in 3/4 cup of the remaining beer just until incorporated (the batter may be lumpy). Add the remaining beer, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the consistency is right – when you lift the whisk, the batter should fall in a steady stream and briefly leave a trail across the surface and then disappear.
Remove the onions from the refrigerator and drain the liquid from the bag. Separate the onion rounds into individual rings. Pat the onions dry with paper towels. Add about a third of the rings to the batter and turn to coat. Transfer the rings to the oil one at a time, letting excess batter drip off before dropping them in. Fry for about 5 minutes, or until the onion rings are golden brown and crisp, flipping once halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt, then move the baking sheet to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining onions – adjust the heat under the pan as necessary to keep the oil temperature at 350 F.
