SOUTHERN-FRIED SWEET ONION RINGS

Southern-Fried Sweet Onion Rings image

Thin enough to flash-fry but thick enough to let the sweet onion flavor shine through, these onion rings work well as a side dish but also are great as a stand-alone snack. Less is more when dipping the rings in the buttermilk mixture and then the flour mixture. Be delicate in the coating process, and make sure to let as much liquid and then as much flour fall off as possible. Less breading means less grease absorption and a crisper finished product. The flour should be as fine as possible, so reserve half of the flour mixture. When the first batch starts to get wet and gummy, replace it with the remaining half. The oil temperature matters, too. Heat the oil to at least 360 degrees, and fry the rings in batches. They cook so quickly it is easy to get through the frying in 10 minutes. Keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until all the frying is done.

Provided by Kim Severson

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 to 2 quarts peanut or other frying oil, such as canola
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 large Vidalia or other sweet onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Kosher salt

Steps:

Heat oil in a large heavy pot. It should be at least 3 inches deep, but more is better.
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, cornstarch and cayenne. In a second bowl, beat egg and buttermilk. Separate onion slices into rings.
Working in batches, lightly toss the rings in the flour mixture, then dip into the buttermilk mixture. Allow most of the liquid to drip off, then toss again in the flour mixture. Shake off as much flour as possible and place the rings into the hot oil.
Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown, moving the rings around a bit in the oil to keep them separated.
Put the onion rings on a plate or bowl lined with paper towel and salt. Repeat until the onions are done.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1025, UnsaturatedFat 52 grams, Carbohydrate 113 grams, Fat 58 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 14 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 962 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 0 grams