Thanks to our bud Norm for the Arrogant Bastard Keg. You've made us fat and drunk and full of these round gems:
Shopping List:
- 4 very large yellow onions
- 1 recipe Arrogant Bastard Ale Batter (recipe follows)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Kosher salt
For the Arrogant Bastard Ale Batter:
- 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) cold Arrogant Bastard Ale
- teaspoon Cajun spice blend
- teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
First, make the batter: Pour the Ale into a bowl. Stir in the spices. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then add them to the beer mixture slowly, whisking well until they’re evenly and thoroughly incorporated. You may need a bit more or less flour to reach the ideal consistency... It should be just thick enough to coat whatever you’re frying.
Cut off the ends of each onion, cut in half crosswise (around the equator), and remove the papery skin and thin outer membrane. Soak in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Leave the rings big and fat.
Drain the onions, separate the rings, and spread them on a kitchen towel to dry.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Fill a heavy-duty pan that’s at least 4 inches deep, pouring in oil to a depth of
2 to 3 inches, and no more than halfway up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 360°F (medium high on a good stove).
Dunk the onion rings in the batter and fry in batches until crispy and deep reddish brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, as this will lower the temperature of the oil significantly and result in soggy onion rings. Transfer cooked onion rings to a wire rack set over a baking sheet (or directly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet). Season with a sprinkling of salt and keep them in the oven until the entire batch has been fried.
Serve hot, with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping. (No ketchup!)
