I grew up in a “village.” Not a town, or a city, but a village. It sounds all European and quaint, but actually it was the village of Hopwood, in southwestern Pennsylvania. I never knew why it qualified as a village, so I turned to the internet {where, of course, everything is true}.
A village is a small group of settlements which is usually located in a rural area although they can also be found in several urban areas. It is larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town. It is comprised of permanent residences that are located close together for the purpose of its easy defense against enemies and to enable its inhabitants to socialize among themselves… It may have a church and a handful of shops where people can buy basic necessities.
I don’t remember our neighbors banding together to defend against enemies, but I do remember the handful of businesses providing those “basic necessities.” Among them, the onion rings served at a hamburger joint called “Ruse’s Roost.” They were special – though I can’t recall what made them so good. Probably the fact that as a kid, I had zero guilt about eating fried foods.
We moved to a “real city” {Omaha} when I was 10, but the cravings for those golden circles of joy lasted for decades afterward. So Ruse’s was on the top of the list of places I wanted to revisit on a return trip. Sadly, the only thing left of the restaurant is the giant rooster that stood guard at the place during its heyday.
I was making our favorite burgers the other night and thought about those onion rings. So I decided to try making my own. I’ll continue to experiment – perhaps with a beer batter or some different spices, but I have to say these were delicious! And guilt-free, since they’re baked and not fried.
Want a healthier version of onion rings to serve with your favorite burger? Want a kitchen activity you could delegate to the kids? You’ll love these Baked Onion Rings.
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 egg
- ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup panko
- ¼ tsp cayenne {or paprika for less heat}
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, cut into ½" thick slices
- cooking spray
- Preheat oven to 475º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the flour in a shallow dish.
- Mix the buttermilk, egg and ¼ tsp salt in another shallow dish.
- In a food processor, grind the panko, cayenne, onion powder, black pepper and ¼ tsp salt together until fine. Place in a shallow dish.
- Separate the sliced onion into rings. Working in batches, dip the rings in the flour; shake off the excess. Dip next in buttermilk, and let excess drip back into bowl. Toss lightly in panko mixture.
- Divide the rings between the two baking sheets, arranging in a single layer. Coat with cooking spray. Bake until crisp and browned, about 18 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining salt.
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