BEER-BATTERED ONION RINGS

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 6 Servings

Comment:
It is amazing how many people have trouble with simple dishes such as onion rings. After all, there are only three main ingredients: onions, batter and oil. Well, hopefully this recipe will solve your “onion ring” dilemma. It is guaranteed to bring accolades.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet onions, peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick rounds
3 cups beer, divided
2 tsps malt vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
¾ cup flour
¾ cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder

Method:
In a plastic zipper bag, combine onion rounds, 2 cups of beer, vinegar, salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Close bag, sealing tightly, and shake vigorously to mix ingredients. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. NOTE: Do not refrigerate onion rounds longer than 2 hours or they will become soft and too saturated to crisp properly. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 200°F and adjust oven rack to middle position. In a Dutch oven, heat oil to 350°F over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch and baking powder then season to taste using salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Slowly whisk in ¾ cup of beer until just combined. Whisk in remaining beer as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until batter falls from whisk in a steady stream and leaves a faint trail across surface of batter. Set batter aside. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Remove onions from refrigerator and drain, discarding liquid. Pat onion rounds dry with paper towels and separate into individual rings. Transfer one-third of rings to batter, turning to coat well. Carefully add battered rings to oil, one at a time. Fry approximately 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, flipping once. Using tongs, remove rings from oil and set on prepared baking sheet to drain. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in oven to keep warm until all onions are fried. Return oil to 350°F and repeat with remaining onion rings. Serve immediately.