Recipe: Run Around The Onion Rings With Blue Cheese Butter

LOCASCIOA SEP 22, 2010 5:11 PM

In the mood for some deep fried onion rings like they sell in your favorite fast food restaurant?  What If I told you that you can do them one better by making your own at home. No, it’s not as fast as ordering them off the menu, but these are a whole lot better for you and you will NOT have trashed your diet in the process. They’re baked, not fried.  Don’t you feel virtuous???

1 large egg, whisked

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1 tablespoon vodka

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup panko crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (or to taste)

1 large sweet onion (12 ounces) such as Vidalia, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Spritz a large, shallow baking pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together egg, buttermilk, vodka in a large bowl.  Toss parmesan, panko, salt, and cayenne in a second bowl.

Separate onion slices into rings.

Dip rings into batter, letting excess drip off,  then coat them with dry ingredients and lay out, one layer deep on baking pan.

Bake rings in middle of the oven until crisp and deep golden, about 15 minutes. Let them rest 3-4 minutes then transfer to a platter and serve.

Blue Cheese Butter:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon sea salt

Whisk together.  Serve with onion rings.

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