Onion Straws

[Roxy]

Onion Straws:

 

Peel a large onion and slice it very thin.

 

If you can see the knife through the onion slice, then it is thin enough.

 

Separate the onion slices into rings and place them into a shallow dish.

 

Measure 2 cups of buttermilk and pour it over the onions.

 

***You can use milk, too, if you don’t have buttermilk handy. OR, you can make your own buttermilk by adding a couple tablespoons of white vinegar to just under 2 cups of milk.

 

Press the onions down so that they’re as submerged as possible. (Don’t worry: they don’t need to be swimming in the stuff. Just make sure they’re all at least touching the buttermilk.)

 

Add 2 cups flour to a bowl.

 

Add a scant (a little less than) 1 T. of salt.

 

Add Black Pepper using a Pepper Grinder-(Don’t be skimpy.)

 

Add 1/4-1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper.

 

Stir the flour mixture together with a fork, and set aside.

 

Pour 2 quarts Canola Oil into a stainless Dutch Oven Pot.

 

Hook candy thermometer to the side of my pan and make sure the tip is totally submerged.

(Most candy thermometers come with a clip.)

 

Turn the stove to medium high, and just watch the mercury climb. It’ll take several minutes to get to 375 degrees.

 

With tongs (or your fingers), remove a handful of onions from the buttermilk and place into the flour mixture.

 

Stick the onions in there and roll them around, do whatever you need to do to coat them with the flour. Then remove them.

 

Give onions a quick tap on the side of the bowl, just to shake off the excess.

 

When the oil is ready, take out the candy thermometer.

 

Plunge onions into the oil.

 

With a spoon, just fiddle with them a little bit to break them up. And sure, toss onions around a little if you’d like. And whatever you do, don’t leave the stove. The onions cook in no time flat.

 

Have a plate lined with several paper towels standing by, and take out the onions as soon as they’re nice and golden.

 

Place onions on paper towels.

 

Keep repeating, coating small batches of onions in the flour mixture.

 

Put onions in hot oil and drain on plate that has been lined with several paper towels.