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 Submitted by xaipete on June 19, 2009 - 7:25am Sourdough Onion RingsI saw these luscious looking onion rings on YeastSpotting several weeks ago and just could not get them out of my head. After eating them only once, I'm more obsessed with them than ever!
What a terrific way to use up your sourdough discard! Heck, these were so good that I'd make sourdough starter for the express purpose of turning out these tasty little rings. Why were these onion rings so good? They weren't at all greasy (I recovered almost all the oil after cooking), they stayed crisp even when cool (not that many had the chance to get to that state but I had to save a few for the picture), and they had a wonderful flavor. This was the best batter I have ever used. It would work great on fish (fish & chips) as well as vegetables (tempura). It is a total winner and many of us at TFL have an ample supply of SD starter in our kitchens at all times. I made a few little changes to the original recipe. The Batter: 130 g ripe sourdough starter (that was all I had; the original recipe called for 150 g)--my starter was firm, 67% hydration Heaping 1/3 cup AP flour (original recipe called for 1/2 cup) Heaping 1/3 cup water (original recipe called for 1/2 cup) Mix together well and let sit on counter, covered, for about 3 hours then refrigerate until very cold (about another 3 hours). (The original recipe just fed the starter and immediately refrigerated it, but I felt a little funny about that so I let it sit out for a while and start to grow.) When you are ready to make the onion rings: Heat 48 ounces of canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 375º. I used a pot that was about 3 1/2 inches x 9 inches; my oil was about 2 1/2 inches deep and that worked out just fine. Cut one very large yellow onion in slices about 1/4 inch wide and separate them into rings (you can leave them in either two or one ring slices--I did both types). Place one cup of AP flour into a pie plate and season it with 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (I don't like the taste of garlic powder so if you can't or don't want to obtain a superior product, I'd just skip it--I use Morton & Bassett granulated garlic with parsley). Take your starter out of the refrigerator and whisk it with 1/4 cup cold seltzer (or soda) water. It will require some work to get the starter and water mixed up. The batter will be very thick. Dip the onion rings in the flour, coat with the batter, and then drop them in the hot oil. Don't crowd the pan (one onion required two batches for me). Turn them over several times while they were cooking (about 6 minutes, I think, but you will know when they are done). Remove to a lined platter and reserve in a 250º oven while you are getting the next batch done. Sprinkle with kosher salt when they come out of the oil. A dap of your favorite hot sauce makes a nice accompaniment. Serves 2.
--Pamela
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sigh...now I'm hungry. lol
sigh...now I'm hungry. lol These look yummy Pamela:)
They were very easy to make.
They were very easy to make. I highly recommend them, but not for breakfast.
--Pamela
Great idea...
and they will go great with tonight's dinner: lean hamburgers, stuffed with sundried tomato-basil pesto, my wife's to-die-for potato salad, and now sourdough onion rings! Thanks!
David G.
I hope you enjoy them, David.
I hope you enjoy them, David. Post the recipe for the potato salad!
--Pamela
You are right...
it makes a great batter; we devoured one onion, between the two of us. Skipped dessert, and I too am going to try it with fish. The only thing I did different was substitute chipotle powder for the cayenne.
David G.
I'm so glad you two enjoyed
I'm so glad you two enjoyed it. Chipotle is a great substitute for cayenne.
--Pamela
how innovative! keep it
how innovative! keep it up!
TeaIV
Thanks, Tea. What do you
Thanks, Tea. What do you think about sourdough chicken wings?
--Pamela
Very Nicely Done, Pamela!
Very Nicely Done, Pamela! Yours look so nice and not greasy at all! We are really big on 'Fish n Chips' . So I'am very partial to batter and not breaded for fish and onion rings...this is a real winner!
Sylvia
Fish & Chips
Hi Sylvia. I can't wait to try the batter on fish. I loved the way it stayed so crisp on the onions and expect I would have the same results with fish. Maybe tonight!
--Pamela
Wow! The water here is hard
but I've never been able to measure a "heaping" anything of it! ;-)
Great looking rings!
Paul
Thanks, Paul. I don't think
Thanks, Paul. I don't think the measurements were too important :-), but the result were terrific.
--Pamela
I love onion rings.
This is a must try for me. It sure looks it would be a great fish batter as you say. Nice job. Dave
Thanks, Dave. I'm going to
Thanks, Dave. I'm going to try it on fish tonight.
--Pamela
I got to try this
Pamela, your onion rings look delicious! My 7-year-old doesn't like onions but I bet he won't be able to resist these! Please let us know how the fish turn out. I always make too much starter and here are some good ways to make the best of it.
I made the fish tonight and
I made the fish tonight and it turned out great. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
--Pamela
Fish & Chips
The fish turned out great. The only thing I would do differently next time is to salt the fish before putting it in the flour.
--Pamela
Hi Pamela, just noticed this
there is so much to keep up with..the fish looks just lovely! What kind of fish did you fry?
Sylvia
I couldn't get any cod
I couldn't get any cod yesterday so I used Petrale Sole. It worked out great.
--Pamela
Tech Question on Sourdough Batter?
First, I have to say that these look fantastic. Both the rings and the fish. My question is why do you think they stay non-greasy? Something that the sourdough brings to the batter I assume. Like maybe the acid content – but how does it work? (Not that I have to know but sometimes inquiring minds just want to know.) I have to try this!!!!
Dave
I think they stay non-greasy
I think they stay non-greasy because the sourdough batter doesn't absorb very much oil. As to why it doesn't, I don't know. Perhaps it has something to do with its lactic acid content or perhaps it is just that it makes a very thick barrier that quickly hardens and thus doesn't soak up oil.
--Pamela
Oh yeah!
There you go. My all time favorite; fish, chips and homemade coleslaw. Coming to my house for supper very soon. Thanks Pamela. Dave
I was a little worried about
I was a little worried about my selection of fish, Petrale Sole, but that was all I could get yesterday. The fish guy tried to sell me Rock Cod, but that isn't like real cod in my opinion. I rationalized that cod is like flounder and flounder is like sole, and it worked out great. I forgot to make the tarter sauce but it was so delicious I didn't hardly miss it.
The trick about the batter is to just thin it out to the thickness you require with cold soda water.
--Pamela
Fish choice for fish & chips
I have never made batter-fried fish myself, but when I get fish and chips in restaurants on the west coast, it seems cod and halibut are the two kinds of fish used. Halibut is pretty darn good this way. I'd be afraid any kind of flounder (and all the fish we get as "sole" in California are really kinds of flounder (unless it is flown in from Europe) would be too delicate. But, I gather it worked for you.
David
I picked out a rather large
I picked out a rather large piece of Petrale (Whole Foods) that was very fresh and sturdy. Halibut would also be an excellent choice.
I don't often make fried food, but it is fun to do occasionally. This method worked out great for me since I only had to use 48 ounces of canola oil. I hate having to buy mega containers of oil for something I do maybe twice a year.
--Pamela
Pamela, loved the batter,
Like David we were doing hamburgers and I like sliced battered and fried jalapenos on it with pepper jack cheese and fresh tomato slices. Made the onion rings and peppers with your batter YUM! I hate having to throw away the starter when I don't have anything going on. Thanks for adding to the list of ( not just bread) uses!
Audra
Frugality
Oh Audra, I'm so glad I could help you be frugal!
--Pamela
I tried today.
Thanks for the batter. I tried the OR's today. My batter ended up thicker than yours, but still crispy and great tasting. Dave
Glad they worked out for you
Glad they worked out for you Dave. I hope you enjoyed them.
--Pamela
I tried it today
They turned out very good but greasier (when cooled) than I thought. My SD starter was made of whole wheat flour. Wonder if that was what made the difference.
Perhaps. Mine weren't greasy
Perhaps. Mine weren't greasy at all.
--Pamela
Fried Green Tomatoes
with SD starter batter. That's what sided tonight's dinner. Scrumptious. Thanks, again, for the idea Pamela.
David G
Great idea!!! One of my
Great idea!!! One of my absolute favorites. I can't wait to try chicken wings next.
--Pamela
Fried Green Tomatoes, again
My tomato bushes, in Florida's heat, are now history, but not before the choked up a final batch of green tomatos. I made them again last night, but with a twist on the batter.
3/4 cup 100% sourdough starter discard
1/2 cup sparkling water (more or less to thin batter to buttermilk consistency)
1 and 1/2 tsp. Arrowroot flour
Seasoned (S&P) AP flour for dredging
Dredge 1/4 inch thick slices of green tomato in flour. Shake off excess. Drop in batter, let excess drip off. Fry in 1/2 inch hot conola oil or peanut oil.
The arrowroot lends a delicate crunchiness much like tempura batter. We liked this thinner batter and the light crispmess better than the first time we made them with only thinned (crepe batter consistency) sourdough starter.
Looks good, David. I'd add a
Looks good, David. I'd add a little hot sauce to the batter!
--Pamela
could this recipe work in the oven? probably not?
This recipe really is a winner. We've had the onion rings twice so far and I tried it with fish tonight (Red Snapper). Wonderful.
I have to admit that I initially tried dipping frozen fish in the batter and then popping it in the oven on a no-stick pan, thinking I'd make it a bit healthier. But after 15 minutes, it was beginning to look and smell alarmingly like fish in bread. (Ewww...)
So I rescued the fish and fried it as intended. It was really great -- I'll never buy tempura frozen fish again. I think I've had enough fried foods for awhile, but in a week or two I'm going to try tempura veggies.
In the meantime, is it possible, I wonder, to adapt this recipe somehow to bake the fish in this batter? The only way I can think of is to partly fry the fish and then bake them, but of course that only adds a step and the oil would tend to negate the benefit of baking anyway. Is there another way -- any ideas?
Karen
Maybe. If you thinned the
Maybe. If you thinned the batter out some and then sprayed it with pan-spray.
Glad you liked it fried.
--Pamela
Made the fish for DH's birthday
Last time I made WW sourdough onion rings but they turned out a bit too greasy. Of course, I don't give up easily so I tried it again today, with fish. I thawed and dried the fish, prepared some AP flour with dried herbs and spices. Before coating the fish with flour I "marinated" the fish with salt, pepper, sage, basil, and parsley. Dipped it in the batter and shook as much batter off as possible before frying. That helped to prevent it from soaking up too much oil. My husband loved the special dinner I made for his birthday. We all enjoyed it. Next time I will try frying vegetables such as eggplants, broccoli and yam, like the Japanese Tampura. Thanks Pam!
Glad you enjoyed it!!! Happy
Glad you enjoyed it!!! Happy birthday to hubby.
--Pamela
re: onion rings
Yes indeed, toss-off onion rings are so good that I ALMOST (but not quite yet) feel compelled to capture yeast again, just so I'll have toss off....
Our onion rings and banana (try the banana; it's fantastic!!) from last summer:
-Elizabeth
last year's blog entry here: onion rings are too good (bookmarked recipe)
I love the banana idea.
I love the banana idea. Great.
--Pamela
Do try it. The banana is
Do try it. The banana is almost better than the onion, Pamela.
The banana becomes a little caramelized - I bet it would be great with a little creme fraiche or vanilla icecream.
-Elizabeth
Oh my
I've been having left over waffles toasted with ice cream. Now, deep fried bananas and ice cream? I'm going to have to start walking the dog 12 hours a day. Dave
You could have the deep fried
You could have the deep fried bananas with plain yoghurt instead of ice cream?
-Elizabeth