Fabulous Fried Onion Rings

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: About 5 minutes per batch
Serves: 6

Virginia Forsyth of Sacramento was looking for a good recipe for fried onion rings.

Gayle McKenzie of Folsom shares this recipe, which she found in a 1976 issue of Family Circle magazine. She has used it for years and says it has never let her down and is absolutely the best. She can confirm that these onion rings hold very well in a warm oven for several hours, just like the recipes says.

• Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups beer, active or flat, cold or at room temperature

3 very large yellow onions (use Bermudas, if you wish)

3 to 4 cups shortening

• Instructions:

Combine flour and beer in a large bowl and blend thoroughly using a whisk. Cover the bowl and allow the batter to sit at room temperature for no less than three hours.

Twenty minutes before the batter is ready, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place brown paper (from supermarket bags) or layers of paper towels on a jellyroll pan. Carefully peel the papery skins from the onions so that you do not cut into the outside onion layer. Cut onions into ¼-inch thick slices. Separate the slices into rings and set aside.

On top of the stove, melt enough shortening in a 10-inch skillet to come 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the shortening to 375 degrees (use a deep-frying thermometer).

With metal tongs, dip a few onion rings into the batter. Then carefully place them in the hot fat. Fry rings, turning them once or twice until they're an even, delicate golden color. Now transfer to the paper-lined jellyroll pan. To keep warm, place them on the middle shelf of the preheated oven until all the onion rings have been fried. They can be held in the warm oven for several hours and still retain their crispiness and crunchiness.

To freeze: Fry rings and drain on brown paper at room temperature. Arrange on jellyroll pan and freeze. When frozen, pack in plastic bags and return to freezer.

To reheat: Arrange frozen rings on jellyroll pan and place in a preheated 400-degree oven for four to six minutes.

Note: The prep time does not include the minimum three-hour standing time for the beer batter before it is used.

• Per serving, using all batter: 480 calories; 5 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 34 grams fat (10 saturated, 11 monounsaturated, 13 polyunsaturated); 0 milligrams cholesterol; 7 milligrams sodium; 3 grams fiber; 8 grams sugar; 64 percent calories from fat