Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings

Posted by Vanessa in Cooking, March 23, 2011

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I realize I haven’t been posting much these last couple months, and I’m a little bummed about it.  Most of the recipes I’ve tried of late are ones I wouldn’t make again.  Ones that the recipe cards end up in the trash after dinner.  Ones that simply aren’t blog-worthy.  And I still haven’t found an ideal place to take pictures in our new house so most of the time my pictures make me squirm.  How you can have so many windows and so little good lighting baffles me.  And I just can’t handle bad pictures.

Like this one, for instance.  The lighting is awful.  Awful, awful, awful.  But the onion rings were so good, they are worth the exception.  Worth all the squirming I’ll do until I make them again and take better photos.  Yes, we will definitely be having them again.  The Phoenix and I almost got in a fight over whether one of us was getting more than the other.  We’re really mature, can’t you tell? Next time I’ll make two onions worth, instead of just one.  Hopefully, problem solved.

If you’d like to see a good picture of these, just watch the intro to Ina Garten’s Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa.  It’s the first food pictured, and now we know why.  Simple.  Delicious.  Absolutely a winner.

These are great with a steak dinner or even perfect to fancy up a burger from the grill.  I served them with an open-face beef wellington back on Valentine’s Day.  You could even add in a little garlic powder, smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne to the flour mixture to kick the flavor up another notch.  I think I’ll add a little something next time, although they really are great as is.  A big two thumbs up from our house.  Yum.

Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings

recipe from Ina Garten
Details
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes.
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes.
  • Ready in 30 Minutes.
  • Makes: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 quart canola oil
Directions
  • 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 onion rings can sit 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 are 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 the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don\'t crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.
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