This is Melissa’s absolute favorite comfort food, and they’re so easy that she can whip them up in her sleep, but usually does it when she’s drunk. If she can do it shitfaced, you can do it with focus!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
1 white or yellow or vidalia onion (dealer’s choice, all delicious)
8 oz of beer - a light lager works best. Any light lager or ale will do, but Melissa swears by Coors Light. High Life has been known to be a crowd pleaser.
2 cups AP flour
1 TBSP corn starch
1 QT canola oil
Salt
Your choice of dipping sauce - classic ketchup will suffice, but go wild. You’re worth it.
WHAT TO DO
Slice your onion into ¼ inch to ½ inch slices depending on how you like your O-Rings. If you prefer higher batter to onion rations, slice thinner. If you like biting into a big fat onion, slice them thicker. Neither is right or wrong. There are textures for all occasions.
MAKE YOUR BATTER
Pour 8 oz of beer into a bowl. To cut down on dishes, we make our batter right in the measuring cup. Add 1 cup of flour and whisk together. It should have a lumpy consistency like pancake batter. Add 1 TBSP of cornstarch and whisk to combine. If you feel your mix is too thin, add a little more flour a spoonful at a time. If it’s too thick, drizzle beer in and whisk. You are looking for something you could pour if you had to, but it’s thick and would be a hassle.
PRO TIP - rinse your whisk RIGHT AWAY. Beer batter and tempura batter set up like fucking cement if you let it sit. Even Drunk Melissa knows these tools must be rinsed immediately.
Put your remaining flour in another bowl and keep it next to your batter.
ANOTHER PRO TIP - Frying is messy. We like to set up all of our batter and dredge and tools on a baking sheet to keep the mess contained. This is not a necessary step, but if these are your late night snack, you can leave the kitchen in less of a state of disarray by picking up the whole tray and tossing it all in the sink rather than letting it cake into your counters.
Heat up your oil. Canola’s smoke point is 400, so you’re shooting for that 350-375 sweet spot. If you want to nerd out on this and be precise, you can get a candy thermometer and stick it on the edge of your pot. If you have a counter top fryer, you get to control the temp!
SAFETY - If you are a new or nervous fryer at home, that is more than fine and respectable. It can be kind of dangerous if you don’t know what to do, but understanding the process will keep you totally safe. Use the heaviest pot you can to keep it steady on the stove (we typically use a dtuch oven or a cast iron skillet). DON’T fill your vessel MORE THAN half way.
WATER AND HOT OIL DO NOT MIX. Keep your hands and tools dry and be mindful of anything passing over the pot. Also, NEVER POUR WATER ON A GREASE FIRE. Turn the heat off and smother it (lid on the pot for example).
BACK TO SNACKS!
Coat your sliced onions in flour in the flour-only bowl, then submerge them in your beer batter to get them fully covered. Gently lower them into the oil and let them cook for 2-3 minutes, then using tongs or a fry spatula, flip them over and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the outside is golden brown. Remove from the oil and set them on a paper towel lined plate or drying rack on a backing sheet and salt liberally. Repeat until you have as many rings as you want, then snack away!!!
We like to eat these with our snack sauce. Check below for the recipe!
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