Yummy, Gluten Free Onion Rings

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I was in the mood for onion rings last night to go with our meal. I was also in the mood to experiment. I wanted onion rings that weren't dipped in batter, but coated as with breadcrumbs. Many years back, I dipped some onion rings in egg, then a mixture of ap flour, salt, and farina. The result was a soft crunch, but bland in flavor.

I looked in the cupbord and my eye fixed on Masa Harina, and then on almond flour. I knew I had to try it. I figured the nutty flavor of the almond flour combined with the masa harina would be at the very least, interesting.

I combined equal parts of each flour, about a half cup each, with 1/2 tsp. salt. I beat an egg and coated the onion rings with the egg wash. I then put them into a shaker bag (gallon platic zipper bag) that contained the flour and salt mixture. Several shakes later, they went into a pot half filled with hot oil. I fried in batches to avoid over-crowding in the pot. They were downright tasty. The coating had a soft crunch, with a nutty flavor, just as I thought it would. The masa harina flavor was mild and did not dominate, but complimented the almond flour. These were not greasy onion rings at all. Mouth feel was exceptional, and I felt the flavor was spot on. The onions were perfectly cooked inside the fried coating, and were easy to eat, no tearing, or ripping out of the coating. I'll make these again when Sprout gets here. She has a friend whose child is gluten intolerant. Now, she'll be able to share the recipe with her friend, and he'll be able to enjoy onion rings. Score!

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[taxlady]

I have been lead to believe that the temperature at which one deep fries is the deciding factor in how greasy something turns out.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have been lead to believe that the temperature at which one deep fries is the deciding factor in how greasy something turns out.

You are partially correct. Also, the food itself has a part to play. Battered foods become spongelike as they fry, which causes them to absorb more fat. Ever eat a cold french fry, or cold, battered chicken. Often, it's greasy, almost soggy. If you take a piece of fresh fish, moisten it with water, and dredge it in seasoned flour, then pan fry in oil, it will absorb less moisture than if the same fish is dried with paper towels, then dipped in beer batter and fried.

In either case though, if the oil is the correct temperature, that is, hot enough, the steam created from the water in the food will help keep oil from being absorbed.

Usually I prefer encrusted foods to battered foods, except for tempura batter.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[LPBeier]

Thanks, Chief, I will try this out. We are currently not able to have egg, put I can whip up a substitute that should work fine. I have wanted to find a GF onion ring recipe.