Serves 6
Ingredients:
1½ cups flour
1½ cups beer, active or flat, cold or at room temperature
3 very large yellow onions (use Bermudas, if you wish)
3 to 4 cups shortening
Batter:
1. Combine flour and beer in a large bowl and blend thoroughly, using a whisk. Cover the bowl and allow the batter to sit at room temperature for no less than 3 hours.
2. Twenty minutes before the batter is ready, preheat oven to 200º. Place brown paper – from supermarket bags – or layers of paper toweling on a cookie sheet. Carefully peel the papery skin from the onions so that you do not cut into the outside onion layer. Cut onions into ¼" thick slices. Separate the slices into rings and set aside.
3. On top of the stove, melt enough shortening in a 10" skillet to come 2" up the sides of the pan. Heat the shortening to 375º (using a deep-frying thermometer).
4. With metal tongs, dip a few onion rings into the batter. Then carefully place them in the hot fat. Fry rings, turning them once or twice until they are an even delicate golden color. Now transfer to the paper-lined cookie sheet. To keep warm, place them on the middle shelf of the preheated oven until all the onion rings have been fried. Will keep in oven for up to 2 hours, they claim.
To Freeze: Fry rings and drain on brown paper at room temperature. Arrange on cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen, pack in plastic bags and return to freezer.
To Reheat: Arrange on cookie sheet and place in preheated 400º oven for 4 to 6 minutes.
From Family Circle “The Best of the Best” by Anna
Marie Doherty – recipe by John Clancy