Onion Rings Like Hackney's

Name: Onion Rings Like Hackney's
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 large Spanish onion; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup water; 1 cup flour; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; canola oil, for frying

Submitted by Hey Jude

"Anyone who has had the onion rings at Hackney's restaurants in the Chicago area will immediately know what these rings are like. They are served in a loaf, or brick, and when it arrives at the table everyone starts pulling it apart, like taking flakes off a bale of hay. The thinly sliced onions are lightly breaded and packed into a loaf, then deep fried so that the outside of the 'brick' is usually well done and sometimes the hot oil never gets to the inside of the brick. For that reason, I would usually order ours 'well done' so that the inside gets crispy. I have moved away from Chicago and found myself craving these rings so I went on a quest to figure it out. I came up with a 'controlled pile of rings', as opposed to the 'brick', using a Fry Daddy to keep the oil temperature under control. I'm really happy with these rings!"

Download

Ready In:: 50mins
Ingredients:: 7
Serves:: 2

ingredients

1 large Spanish onion
1 cup milk
¹⁄₂ cup water
1 cup flour
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika
canola oil, for frying

directions

Slice the onion into thin rings, about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Separate the rings completely, place into a bowl and pour the milk and water over them. Swish them around occasionally and let sit for about 30 minutes.
Place the flour, salt and paprika into a plastic bag and shake to combine. Heat oil in a frying appliance or in a large, deep frying pot to 360°.
Using a fork, lift a bunch of rings out of the bowl and let the milk drip, then add the rings into the flour bag. Twist the bag shut and shake it, coating the rings. Lift the rings out and shake them a little back into the bag, to remove excess flour.
Add the rings to the oil and let cook, stirring occasionally to keep them cooking evenly. Don't worry about trying to keep them separated -- because they're thinly sliced they're going to want to tumble around each other. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they're a nice golden brown. Remove with a large slotted spoon, letting the excess oil drip back into the pot, and place on a paper towel-lined sheet pan.
These are best consumed hot from the fryer.
One large Spanish onion is equal to about 3 batches of rings in the fryer.
This recipe is really easy to double, triple, etc.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!

Reviews

Spot on! I have always enjoyed Hackney's onion loaf. This turned out just like it! One thing I should have done is sliced the onion into thicker pieces. I sliced the rings about 1/8", but I think 1/4" would have been better. Thank you for posting. Very easy recipe and turned out great!!

tiredofeatingout