Onion Rings

This is a very common sight in my messy kitchen: several cookbooks open, often all Barefoot Contessa's, flags and notes all over the place.
Oh and the butter, too, isn't a rare sight.

This isn't a rare sight either, come to think of it. This is a nice (and cheap!) bottle of Pino Noir from the Russian River Valley. And very cool Candlewick glasses from Auntie Carroll; I spotted the very same shaped glasses in a scene in Benjamin Button!
So to the onion rings.... Last week Erol was craving steaks with blue cheese, and I thought this was the perfect time to make these onion rings.
They turned out perfectly - light and crispy with great flavor. I planned on concocting a spicy mayo-based sauce (ala Outback) but they didn't need it. Unlike with a beer batter, you won't take a bite and end up wrestling with the entire piece of onion that comes out of the batter; each bite comes off cleanly, which is not a huge deal, it's just kinda satisfying.

I will make these again, but next time I will use my Dutch oven (super heavy cast iron, enamel coated pan) rather than my regular stock pot. The oil temp did not reman steady in this pot, which was frustrating. For this meal my main focus was on these onion rings and I wanted to serve them right away, so unfortunately my steaks suffered a bit and became a little overcooked. I won't make that mistake again because these onion rings hold up longer than the recipe indicates, and they stay crunchy for a long time, so I'll do them first next time and then concentrate on the steak.
Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings
Ina Garten

2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.