Buttermilk Dipped Onions

I never quite had an appreciation for onion rings until I made these babies.  Heck anything double dipped in buttermilk and fried can't be that bad.  After making these you will never ever ever want that minced onion madness you get in the freezer section.

This can get a bit messy but the end result is pure, fried goodness.  The only change I made was that I added a bit more cayenne and I have cooked these without soaking them. Soaking them in water dilutes the sulfur in the onions. IMO it also allows the batter to adhere to the onions better so that when you bite into them you don't bite the onion out of the fried batter. Also, it is a good idea to have the onion rings all ready for the oil because the double dipped process can be messy and the onions will cook quickly!

Buttermilk Dipped Onions
Adapted heavily from: http://www.cuisineathome.com/extras/063/recipe/double-dipped-onion-rings/

What you need:

• 2 large yellow onions, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes but up to an hour
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 T. salt
• 1 T. black pepper
• 1 T. paprika
• 1 T. cayenne
• 3 cups buttermilk
• Enough vegetable oil for deep frying

What to do:

• Drain onions
• Combine flour and seasonings in a large plastic bag
• Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish
• Dip onion rings in the buttermilk, then transfer a few at a time to the flour using a skewer (or your hands!) for easy maneuvering
• Dip rings a second time into the buttermilk and flour using the skewers.
• Set the coated, skewered rings over a bowl while coating the remaining onions.
• Heat oil in a pot over medium-high to 365°. Fry half the onions in the oil until golden, 3–4 minutes. Don't overcrowd!
• Remove from the oil using skewers, then rest over a bowl to drain. Fry remaining onions in the same way.

Cook. Eat. Repeat.