Beer Battered Onion Rings

These crispy onion rings are great! Be sure to use panko or homemade bread crumbs. The regular kind in the can will give the rings an unpleasant sandy texture. This recipe is free of dairy, egg, and nuts.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1 cup dark beer
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting cooked onion rings
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon or 1 tablespoon vinegar
1 valdelia onion

2 cups homemade dry bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
Oil for frying

Directions:
Slice onion in 1/2 inch thick slices and separate into rings. Add the juice of one lemon or vinegar and onion rings in a bowl. Fill with water to cover onion rings. In a separtate bowl, mix together flour, corn meal, bear, salt, baking powder, and black pepper. Heat oil in a medium pot on medium high heat. Pour bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Begin when oil is hot so that a drip of batter immediately bubbles and floats to the surface. Dip an onion slice in the wet batter, press the battered ring in the bread crumb mix, and flip over and coat the other side with crumbs. Fry rings 2 or 3 at a time in oil. When one side browns, flip over and brown other side. When both sides are light brown, remove to a cooling rack. Sprinkle with salt while still hot. Repeat for remaining rings.

Note: To make your own dried bread crumbs, grate a safe bread on a cheese grater. Leave crumbs out to dry or toast in the oven.

Photo by William Jones