Onion Rings

I had a craving for a big juicy hamburger and onion rings the other day. And since there are no good places in or little town to go get one, we ended up making our own this weekend. I have to admit I have never made homemade onion rings. I looked through quite a few recipe books until I came across one that I had all the ingredients for. Leave it to Ina Garten to have the best recipe, I just love her recipes! They come out so crunchy and tasty.

Cornmeal-fried onion rings

2 large Spanish onions(or 3 yellow onions)

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 quart vegetable oil

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1/1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. ( the onions can set in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a large pot or dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't over crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle with some salt, and keep warm in the oven while you fry the next batches. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Don't you just love our fancy china I served it on? I should have put them on a real plate for the picture, but I can't think straight lately! I wonder why?!