SPICY BUFFALO ONION RINGS AND BLUE CHEESE DIP

Spicy Buffalo Onion Rings and Blue Cheese Dip image

Provided by Food Network

Time 45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 23

Vegetable oil, for frying
4 eggs
5 cups 2 percent milk
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix (recommended: Paul Prudhomme's)
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 2/3 teaspoons salt
3 extra-large yellow onions
Blue Cheese Dip, recipe follows
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cups sour cream
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups blue cheese
1 tablespoon minced serrano chile peppers
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Fill a large heavy saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of cooking oil and heat over medium-high heat. The oil temperature should be at 350 degrees F when you start frying.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs and milk; then add the flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly with a hand-held mixer. Strain the mixture to remove any lumps. Add more milk if you want a thinner crust. In a small bowl, mix the Cajun spice mix, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, dry mustard, and salt. Add this spice mixture to the batter. Cut the onions into thick slabs, dunk them in the batter, and fry them, in batches, in the oil until golden brown. Serve the onion rings with the Blue Cheese Dip, sliced carrot, and celery.
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce in a side bowl for dipping.