Buttermilk Onion Rings

Since being quarantined, we have been experimenting with different recipes, and believe that we have created the perfect at-home onion rings. These onion rings are the perfect side dish to just about any summer meal, and they are not too difficult to make! 

Ingredients 

• 2 large white onions
• 1/2 gallon of canola oil
• 3 c. buttermilk
• 4 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. paprika

Directions

Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl. (If you don’t have buttermilk, don’t panic! You can make buttermilk at home, and it is just as good as store bought. When I need to make my own buttermilk, I use this recipe from the Food Network, and use lemon juice.) Peel and slice the onions into thick rings, and pull the rings apart from one another. Place them in the buttermilk and allow to soak for 30 mins.

Put the canola oil into a large pot and begin heating. If you do not have a thermometer and do not know how to tell if the oil is at boiling point, throw a drop of flour into the oil and if it fries or bubbles, it is ready.

Prepare two separate bowls next to each other. In one, place 2 cups of flour and set aside. In the other bowl, place the rest of the flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and paprika, and stir together.

One stirred together, pour the buttermilk that the onions have been soaking in into the bowl and stir together until combined. (This is your batter for the onion rings. The buttermilk not only took some of the harshness away from the onions, but now the milk has a very strong flavor that will give the batter a unique flavor.) If the batter is too thick, add more milk. It does not necessarily have to be buttermilk. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter.

Now, take the onion rings that have been soaking in the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour-only mixture. This is a crucial step, as the flour makes the batter stick to the onion rings while frying.

Once dredged with flour, dip the onion rings into the batter. Let the excess batter drip off. Once the excess has dripped off, place in the oil.

Once browned and crispy, they are done. Remove from the oil and place on a dish covered in paper towels. Enjoy!