Beer-Batter Onion Rings

Ingredients

1-2 onions
a can of beer
1 1/2 cup flour
vegetable oil for frying

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour with about a 1 1/2 cups of beer, or one 12-ounce can. Whisk them until the batter thickens and you see plenty of bubbles in the bowl. 

Now cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for a few hours.

Benefits of Cooking With Beer

If you're having trouble parting with a can of the good stuff for this recipe, consider this: A New Zealand study found that adding beer to batter helps reduce the oily fat content of fried food by as much as 40 percent. Yep, that's less fattening and tastes great.

Peel the Onions

Next, peel then chop the onion. Simply pop the onion's natural rings apart with your fingers. I like large pieces, about a 1/2-inch thick. There's no right or wrong here. Keep in mind that the thinner they are, the more work you'll have to do in the frying pan.

Warm the Vegetable Oil

Once the batter has thickened, pour an inch or so of vegetable oil into a frying pan and warm to 370 degrees. On my stove, that's medium heat.

Coat the Onion Rings With Batter

I now make an assembly line near the cooktop-- left to right: onion, batter, oil. With a pair of metal tongs, I carefully dunk each ring into the beer batter, coat it evenly, shake off the excess, and ease it into the hot oil.

Cook the Beer-Batter Onion Rings

Each onion ring should cook about two minutes on each side. Of course, if they're thin, you won't necessarily need to turn them. 

When they're done, use the tongs to transfer each ring from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate where the extra oil will be absorbed. 

Now, don't be alarmed if your first few onion rings are lighter than you're used to in restaurants and look a little like Japanese tempura. The dirtier the oil gets, the darker the batches become.

Serve the Beer-Batter Onion Rings

Once your completed product is on a serving dish, add salt or pepper for flavor, and in the case of my family, add a side of ketchup. 

For a twist in the presentation department, look no further than a paper towel holder. Make sure it's clean. Then unscrew the top, remove the roll, and stack the onion rings to complete this uniquely tall serving suggestion. 

That's a lot fun for food for just a few dollars or less, as long as you're willing to part with a beer. 

Comments and suggestions ALWAYS welcome

Baked Cast Iron Chicken and Potatoes

Baked Cast Iron Chicken and Potatoes

OK, so today is going to be one of those "no recipe" days.  Just a day where you make the stuff and it is GREAT.

Yup, baking chicken is so easy.  It's one of those items, that you spice it up and bake it.

But I added a few items to make it my own "recipe" if you will.  So I will get you started, but where you end up, will be your own recipe.

Ingredients

1 package chicken thighs
4 potatoes
3 stalks celery
1 onion
3 tablespoons of Oil

Stuff you will need

14 inch cast iron skillet
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Spatula, it can be metal as your NOT going to hurt the cast iron

Directions

Cut up your your potatoes into bite size pieces.  Same with the onion and celery.  

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

Heat your skillet on medium heat.  Once you see smoke coming off the skillet, it is pre-heated and ready to go.  Add the oil.  Then the potatoes and other vegetables.

Fry up your potatoe & veggies in the cast iron skillet till they are about 1/2 way done.  Add what ever spices you like to this.  Were not done cooking them, we are only "starting" them so that we don't have raw potatoes when it's all done.

Spice up your chicken.  I used salt, pepper and garlic.  Do you like some other spices on your chicken?  Go wild.  Remember, this is YOUR recipe, I am only getting you started.

Arrange your chicken on top of the potatoes and into the oven for about 45 minutes.

The drippings from the chicken will saturate the potatoes and veggies.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.