12 Days of Christmas

On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five gold rings! I thought we could all appreciate these fabulous rings and with this recipe, you get more than five ~ win, win! Enjoy!

~ Cornmeal Fried Onion Rings ~
Courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa and The Food Network

2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)

2 c buttermilk
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c yellow cornmeal
1 qt vegetable oil

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

When you're ready to start frying, preheat the oven to 200 and line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a deep pan or dutch oven. Working in batches, lift some onions from the buttermilk and dredge them through the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for approx 2 minutes, until golden, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the paper towels, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you finish frying the rest. They will remain crisp in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.