I won’t be so presumptuous as to give anyone advice on how to boil a hot dog 🙂

I lost the link to my favourite onion ring recipe, so tried a new one. Not as good, but close.

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced into 1/4 to 1/2″ rings. (You can use any kind — Vidalias are sweet, red onions mild, but I like yer plain old yellow/white onions for their sharper flavor)
• 1-1/4 C. flour, divided
• 1/4 C. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. grated lime jest (optional)
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 C. milk
• 1 C. beer (substitute: club soda)
• 1 egg
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

Separate the onions into rings, then sprinkle over 1/4 C. of the flour, and mix well to coat.

Whisk together the dry ingredients for the batter:

Then whisk in the liquid ingredients and the egg. I got a bit inspired and replaced my original beer choice with this!

By now you should have heated up the oil to 365 degrees F. (Oops, forgot to mention that.) Put a teaspoon of batter into the oil and cook it until crisp, remove and when it’s cool(ish, don’t burn your mouth), taste and adjust the batter seasoning.

Working in four or five batches, mix the rings into the batter, then remove and shake off excess batter. Cook them in the oil for 3-5 minutes, turning (as best you can) once, or until crispy.

Drain on paper towels:

Pick some of the prettier ones for their internet star turn. The rest will keep for several days in the fridge, but are best reheated in the oven to return some of their crispiness.

Oh dear! My last dillies, canned about a year ago. The last jar I opened was pretty much mush, and went into the bin. These, in a quart jar, were reasonably crispy (perhaps the previous ones, in a pint, were overcooked). Nicely mild and similar to a kosher dill, my fave.

Don’t forget to toast the weiner buns!

I prefer my hot dogs pretty simple, just some mayo, a bit of chopped onion, and mustard (has to be French’s, though!).

Hot Dogs and Onion Rings with a Scallion Sour Cream Dipping Sauce, House Dill:

(accompanied by a glass of Guinness Extra Stout, but forgot that in the picture)

Yum!

-R