Old Diner Beer-battered Onion Ring

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 large yellow onions
• 2 cups milk, chilled
• 2 cups ice water
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup beer, at room temperature
• 1 dash tabasco sauce
• vegetable oil or peanut oil (for frying)

Recipe

• 1 slice the onions crosswise about 1/2 inch thick and then carefully separate the slices into rings.
• 2 you should have about 8 cups.
• 3 place the rings in a wide shallow dish in as few layers as possible.
• 4 in a bowl, whisk together the milk and ice water.
• 5 pour evenly over the onions.
• 6 cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• 7 very carefully turn the rings at least once to soak them evenly.
• 8 meanwhile, make the batter.
• 9 in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, dry mustard, and pepper; set aside.
• 10 in a bowl lightly beat the eggs; whisk in the vegetable oil, and then the beer and tabasco, mixing well.
• 11 make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture all at once.
• 12 using a whisk and starting in the center of the bowl and working outward, whisk until the mixture is free of lumps.
• 13 cover and let stand for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight in the refrigerator.
• 14 line 2 baking sheets with a double layer of paper towels.
• 15 using tongs, remove the onion rings from the milk mixture, shaking off the excess liquid, and let drain on one of the prepared sheets.
• 16 pat the onion rings dry with more paper towels to remove all excess moisture.
• 17 in a deep-fat fryer or large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in vegetable oil to a depth of at least 3 inches.
• 18 heat until the oil registers 375 degrees on a fat frying thermometer, or until a bread cube dropped in browns in about 45 seconds.
• 19 stir the batter.
• 20 working in batches and using the tongs, dip the onion rings into the batter, shaking off any access.
• 21 quickly but carefully drop them into the hot oil.
• 22 fry them turning occasionally with the tongs until they are a deep golden brown, 4-5 minutes.
• 23 transfer the cooked ones to the other paper towel lined sheet.
• 24 cook them all and serve them.