Maui Onion Rings Recipes

ONION RINGS

Steps:

• If preparing the optional smoky ketchup, begin by preparing that: in a small bowl, whisk all of those ingredients together until well blended; then, cover with plastic and chill for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld together for extra zip.
• To prepare the onion rings: add the sliced onions into a large bowl, and pour the buttermilk over them just to cover; allow the rings to marinate in the buttermilk for about 20 minutes.
• While the rings marinate in the buttermilk, place a medium-large pot on the stove, and add enough vegetable oil to come about half-way up the sides of the pot (about 5-6 cups), and slowly bring the temperature of the oil up to 350-360° while you prepare the rest of the steps.
• Prepare your flour dredge by adding 1 cup of the flour, along with the cornmeal, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper into a large Ziplock bag.
• Once the rings have marinated, thoroughly drain them from the buttermilk allowing any excess to drip off, and add them into the Ziplock bag (work in a couple of batches if you need to), tossing them very well to coat them thoroughly; remove the rings from the flour dredge and place them in a single layer onto a wire rack or baking sheet to hold for a moment.
• To prepare your beer batter, add the remaining 1 cup of flour to medium-size bowl, and slowly pour the beer into it, whisking gently until the batter is smooth and about the consistency of pancake batter.
• To fry the rings, dip each ring into the beer batter allowing any excess to drip off, and carefully place into the hot oil; repeat with another few rings (you will work in batches), and allow the rings to fry for about 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown.
• Remove the fried rings from the oil and drain them on paper towels or on a wire rack, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them while still hot; repeat the process with the remaining rings. (You can keep the rings very hot by placing the finished ones on a baking sheet and into a warm, 200° oven while you work on the batches, if you desire.)
• Serve the onion rings while hot with the smoky ketchup, or your favorite dipping sauce!

SCALLOPS WITH MAUI ONION RINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
• Peel and slice the onions, paper thin, then separate them into rings. Toss with the flour to coat them.
• Heat the vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a deep saucepan or wok, and deep-fry the onion rings in several batches until they are golden. Drain them well, transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven to keep warm.
• Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat half the olive oil until very hot in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add half the scallops and saute, turning them, for about 30 seconds until they are lightly seared. During the last few seconds of cooking, toss with half the basil and half the garlic. Remove the scallops to a warm dish and repeat with the remaining oil, scallops, basil and garlic.
• Divide the scallops among four warm plates, top each with a generous portion of the onion rings and serve at once.

OLD FASHIONED ONION RINGS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
• Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.
• Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

EMERIL'S FRIED MAUI ONION RINGS

Steps:

• Combine the buttermilk and hot sauce in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of Essence. Add the onion rings and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, covered.
• Heat the oil in a large pot to 360°F.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with 2 tablespoons of the Essence. Dredge the onions in the seasoned flour, coating each ring evenly. Shake off any excess flour and carefully place the rings in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning to cook evenly and prevent sticking, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season the fried onion rings with Essence, and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Serve hot.