Basket of onion rings | |
Type | Entree, side dish, snack dish |
---|---|
Course | Hors d'oeuvre |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Main ingredients | Onions, batter or bread crumbs |
Onion rings (also called a French fried onion ring)[1] is a form of appetizer or side dish in British and American cuisine. They generally consist of a cross-sectional "ring" of onion dipped in batter or bread crumbs and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste. While typically served as a side dish, onion rings are often eaten by themselves.
Onion strings are a variant where the onion is cut vertically first, resulting in strips rather than circles.[2]
A British recipe from 1802 calls for cutting onions into slices, dipping them into a batter including Parmesan cheese, and deep frying them in lard. It suggests serving them with a sauce of melted butter and mustard.[3]
Many recipes for deep-fried onion slices or rings are found starting in the early 20th century. There are various processes:
Onion ringlets
Onion rings with dip sauce (Philippines)
The cooking process decomposes propanethial oxide in the onion into the sweet-smelling and tasting bispropenyl disulfide, responsible for the slightly sweet taste of onion rings.[14]