Ingredient: oyster sauce

Onion rings first made their appearance in an ad for Crisco in a New York Times magazine that was published in 1933. The advertisement included a recipe for onions that are sliced, dipped in milk, dredged in flour, and then deep-fried.

With the expansion of fast-food restaurants in the 1950s and 1960s came the inclusion of the onion ring. As our society has evolved, and so has the onion ring.

Onion rings in their most basic form are cross-sectioned onions cut into ‘rings’ that are then coated in a batter, then fried. Simple, but within this, there are variations such as beer batter, tempura batter, pancake batter, onion strings, or even the ‘onion bloom’ where the whole onion is cut into ‘petals’ battered and fried whole. All of which are usually accompanied by a dipping sauce or rémoulade.

But the thing is, not all ‘alliums’ are created equal. Leeks may be delicious in a soup or braise, but good luck trying to turn them into onion rings. Shallots make a beautiful crunchy topping when fried, but their tiny frame and shape will make it nearly impossible to yield a ring suitable for dredging and battering. If you want onion rings, bigger tends to be better. White and yellow varieties are decent picks, but for optimal onion rings, go for sweet onions. These kinds don’t have as strong of a sulfuric taste and frying them brings out their caramelly aromas. If you’re short on sweet onions, you can tamp down the potency of other types by soaking the sliced rings in ice water. 

Onion rings aren’t just sides for hamburgers—they pair well with beef, chicken, and seafood. There are many takes on onion rings nowadays, including variations of ‘stuffed’ onion rings. Today I’m making a pork/shrimp filling to place inside the rings then frying them. Served with rice they make an interesting entrée for our supper.

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Stuffed Onion Rings

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Rating: 5
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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Keyword

stuffed onion rings

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Onions

• 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch rings
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 eggs, beaten

Stuffing

• 250 gm ground pork You could use beef or chicken instead if you would prefer.
• 150 gm Wild shrimp meat, cleaned & roughly chopped
• 3 green onions, sliced thinly
• 2 Tbsp carrot, finely diced
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 egg
• salt & pepper to taste
• olive oil for frying
• Grated cheese of choice for topping

Course Main Dish Cuisine American Keyword stuffed onion rings Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Onions 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch rings 3 Tbsp flour 2 eggs, beaten Stuffing 250 gm ground pork You could use beef or chicken instead if you would prefer. 150 gm Wild shrimp meat, cleaned & roughly chopped 3 green onions, sliced thinly 2 Tbsp carrot, finely diced 1 tsp oyster sauce 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1 egg salt & pepper to taste olive oil for frying Grated cheese of choice for topping

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Combine all stuffing ingredients & set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Lightly dust onion rings with flour. Place the onion rings on a flat surface & divide filling evenly between them, filling the inside of the rings. Smooth out filling.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet; add some oil for shallow frying the rings. Brush sides of the rings with beaten eggs. Carefully place rings in skillet & fry until filling is cooked & golden brown.
4. Top with grated cheese of choice & serve on a bed of rice.