On 16 Sep 2006 05:40:06 +0200, Wayne Boatwright
<wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote:

>Oh pshaw, on Fri 15 Sep 2006 08:22:58p, Andy Katz meant to say...
>
>> I'm not happy with the results of standard breading on onion rings. I
>> used pure egg whites, one whole egg, a bit of cream to thicken and
>> some Tabasco for flavor. I used Wondra flour and store-bought seasoned
>> breadcrumbs.
>>
>> After applying the breading I let them sit about 30 minutes before
>> immersing them in 350 degree oil.
>>
>> All of the breading stayed on about one quarter. About half lost half
>> their breading, and the final quarter lost nearly all of their
>> breading.
>>
>> I breaded half the onion rings the normal way, using one pass. I took
>> the rest and, after letting them sit for a minute or two, re-immersed
>> them in the egg and applied more breadcrumbs.
>>
>> Didn't seem to make much difference.
>>
>> How can I improve their ability to retain the breading?
>>
>> Andy Katz
>>
>
>Well, my personal preference is *no* crumbs. Dip in buttermilk, then in
>seasoned flour only. Allow to dry, then repeat. I've never had it fall
>off. You can also make a "batter" of the buttermilk, flour and seasonings,
>but I don't think it works as well. If you like puffy onion rings, use
>self-rising flour.

Understood. And certainly battered rings are sui generis for the NYC
area.

But I do like a breaded one now and then, as are more common on the
west coast. Astro Burger in West Hollywood (immortalized a couple
years back by Hilary Swank stopping by at 3 or 4 am for a veggie
burger after winning her second Oscar) makes superb ones, as do the
many Tom's/Tam's found in the region. But I'm positive they buy theirs
frozen. I may have to resort to doing that as well, but I'd like to
exhaust the possibilities of doing them fresh.

Of course, even a successful fresh, hand-breaded version might not
translate to the commercial sphere because it's just too
labor-intensive for a $3.95 side.

Andy Katz
"Modesty is in thought, not clothing."

Joel Shurkin

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