"Whoa Baby! I am SO making these again" Onion Rings and Dipping Sauce

I could think of no better name to title these onion rigs with spicy dip because "Whoa baby! I am SO making these again!" was the first thing that I uttered after taking my first bite. I can confidently say that they were the best onion rings I have ever tasted in my 21 years of life! The batter was light yet still stuck well to the onion rings, there was a hint of spiciness, and a perfect crunch. The spicy dip that accompanied the rings added that extra flavour shot that just took this side dish over the top! I got the recipe from Cooks.com, which a resource that I turn to a lot when trying out a new recipe. I encourage you to explore their site because it is insane how many great recipes they have. I got the dip recipe from here.

Note: It is important that you use sweet Vidalia onions as they have a much sweeter flavour, they produce larger rings, and when you bite into the rings, the onion will not slide out from the batter.

Note: Keep close watch when you fry these suckers up, because although they appear to cook slow at first, they can brown up really fast.

Tip: This recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser so why not make them for your next backyard barbeque?

Tip: While you are frying each small batch of rings, keep the already cooked rings warm in the oven.

Tip: Leftover dipping sauce tastes great with fresh vegetables.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Ingredients:

1 large Vidalia onion

1/2 cup beer (light or amber coloured beer works best)

1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda

1 tbsp oil

1 egg white

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

1 cup flour, sifted

1/4 tsp mustard powder

1/2 - 1 cup milk (just enough to soak onion rings)

oil for frying

Directions:

1. Pour beer and seltzer water or soda in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add cayenne pepper, mustard powder, salt, and oil. Pulse until combined.

2. Add in sifted flour, and process just until combined. Batter may be slightly lumpy.

3. In another bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. Gently fold egg white into the contents of the food processor until just combined.

4. Slice onion into rings and separate. Soak in a small amount of milk for 10 minutes. Drain and lightly sprinkle with flour.

5. Carefully dip onion rings in batter, making sure the batter covers each ring evenly. Fry rings in small batches in hot oil (365ºF), turning once. Make sure to only fry a few at a time because when your crowd them, the temperature of the oil drops, resulting in extremely oily and eventually soggy rings. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels before serving.

Onion Ring Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp prepared horseradish

1/3 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp dried oregano

1 pinch pepper

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. Serve alongside onion rings.