Onion rings are just one use for this light and crunchy beer batter. It's also great for fish filets, mushrooms, etc.
The secret is keeping the fizz in the beer, the air in the whipped egg whites, and using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
One caution... this batter is not forgiving of delay. When I cooked at a restaurant in the 1970's I made it as part of my "prep" around 4pm. We served dinner from around 5-10pm. Towards the end of the shift you could tell the unique airy quality of the batter was fading.
The rings themselves are at peak quality for only a short time. They should be served hot, as soon as possible after cooking.
Deep frying comes with unique hazards. Be sure you know what you're doing, and be prepared for slip-ups. And temperature control is key for good results. If using anything other than a system that automatically maintains a precise temp, do NOT leave oil unattended over heat.
One caution... this batter is not forgiving of delay. When I cooked at a restaurant in the 1970's I made it as part of my "prep" around 4pm. We served dinner from around 5-10pm. Towards the end of the shift you could tell the unique airy quality of the batter was fading.
The rings themselves are at peak quality for only a short time. They should be served hot, as soon as possible after cooking.
Deep frying comes with unique hazards. Be sure you know what you're doing, and be prepared for slip-ups. And temperature control is key for good results. If using anything other than a system that automatically maintains a precise temp, do NOT leave oil unattended over heat.
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Ingredients
- varies inches frying oil — Enough to provide at least 3" depth in your pot. Any frying oil works, but extra points for beef tallow, leaf lard or peanut oil.
- 1 large onions (double if small) The largest you can get, nicely shaped. Some prefer yellow, I like white. If you experiment with sweet (e.g. Vidalia) let me know how it turns out.
Batter
- 1 cup sifted cake flour — plus enough for dredging the rings before battering
- 2 Tbsp optional corn starch — helps create a crispy, crunchy exterior.
- 2 Large Eggs — Cold fresh eggs only. After a week or two in the fridge the whites won't whip up as well.
- 1 tsp optional seasoning blend — e.g. Lawreys, Old Bay, Cavenders. Whatever floats your boat.
- 1 tsp optional paprika — Mostly for color. Probably skip if you added the above seasoning blend.
- 4 Tbsp melted butter — Optional. Calorific, but adds a nice dimension.
- 1 cup cold beer — Avoid "light" beers - flavor is important. A standard American lager, or a Pale Ale are nice. The restaurant I cooked at used Michelob. Feel free to experiment. Guinness might be interesting. Maybe even a dark rich gnarly stout.
Ingredients
Batter
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Instructions
Prep
- Separate the egg whites from yolks and set both aside, putting the yolks in the fridge but leaving the whites out to come to room temp. They need about half an hour before you whip them.
- Heat at least 2 inches of oil to 350°F in a large pot. The wider the pot, the better, so you have room for as many rings at once as possible. The oil has to be deep enough that whatever you're frying floats, and is not resting on the bottom.
- In a bowl, add some flour for dredging the rings, set aside
- Slice onions into thick rings, ignoring the "poles" of the onion. It's a matter of taste, but I like about 3/4". Don't do this way ahead of time — the flour and batter won't stick as well if they were sliced hours ago.
- Separate the slices into rings, saving only those about 1.5" or wider. Save the leftovers for other oniony duties.
Make Batter
- Whisk egg whites until stiff. A pinch of salt and a pinch of cream of tartar can help. Set aside.
- Mix salt and seasoning into the sifted flour.
- In another bowl, mix egg yolks, adding optional melted butter.
- Add the flour mixture and the cold beer and mix gently enough you don't knock the fizz out of the beer. A little lumpy is ok.
- Dip your 2 "peace sign" fingers held together into the batter, pointed down. Lift them out and separate into an upside-down peace sign, opening and closing them. The batter should retain a loose web between your fingers as they separate. If it's soupy and just runs off, mix in a bit more flour. If it's too thick to form the web, add more beer.
- Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. If you're not familiar with the difference between folding and mixing, google "folding egg whites" and watch a video on it. It's simple.
Cook
- Ensure your oil is up to temp.
- Separate the rings into the batches that will fit your fryer. Dredge a batch in flour.
- Working quickly, plop each ring into the batter and flip once or twice to coat, then put in the oil gently enough not to splash. Take care not to stick your finger in the hot oil. The batter on your fingers will protect you a little, but better safe than sorry.
- Once the whole batch is in, watch for proper browning then flip. Tongs work, but a couple of disposable chopsticks are more gentle. When the second side is properly browned, lift out and place in bowl lined with paper-towels (or a kitchen towel), with another towel over the top to slow cooling.
- Repeat these "cook" steps until you're out of rings. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
I made this recipe probably hundreds of times while working at Charlie Browns Steak & Lobster (a defunct chain) in the 1970's. I've reproduced it from memory, but think it's close - though I had to adapt from 40 eggs (hand separated, hand whipped) and a pitcher of Michelob beer from the tap.
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