Fried Onion Rings from 1801...

[lspencer534]

The year 1801, not some pissy restaurant name. I made these, and they're delicious! There's a video below, but here's the recipe:

-Spanish onions
-Lard
-Eggs
-5 tbsp. cream
-Salt & Pepper to taste
-1/4 cup flour
-4 oz. parmesan cheese

Cut the onions into half inch slices. Meanwhile, heat up your lard to get it ready for frying.

Now it's time to make your batter. Beat the eggs until they are combined. Then add the cream, salt and pepper, and the flour. Finally, you’ll use the secret ingredient--four ounces of finely-grated Parmesan cheese. Beat the batter together until it is combined.

Now it's time to fry them up. Dip the rings into the batter and then carefully put them into the frying oil.

Fry them until they are golden brown on the bottom, then carefully flip them and fry them a few minutes more.

Folks back then ate them with mustard in a melted butter sauce.

YouTube (Short URL)

[Kerrmudgeon]

You might find the batter sticks better if you dredge them in straight flour first, then the batter Larry.

[OldSarge]

I do love onion rings, I am going to give them a try, thanks.

[Cybercowboy]

Anything deep fried in lard or beef tallow tastes fantastic.

[Kerrmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

Anything deep fried in lard or beef tallow tastes fantastic.

When I was a kid there was a Jewish deli that made their own donuts fried in lard......they were sooo good!

And one of my first jobs was flipping burgers at a Harvey's up here.....we used to cut our own fries and cook them in lard, both par cooking and finish cooking. They were great. and ......good for you too!

[63C2splitter]

Those sound really good.

I am surprised that a Jewish deli would use lard for cooking.

[Cybercowboy]

I don't think frying in lard is any worse than frying in hydrogenated vegetable oil. As a matter of fact, look back on what people used to cook and there were very few fat people. We didn't have hydrogenated vegetable oil (margarine, Crisco, etc) and we didn't have corn syrup and very few processed foods in general. I say that if you are going to have something deep fried, make it taste as good as possible and just don't eat very much of it. I'd rather have five fantastic onion rings than 25 crappy ones.

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by 63C2splitter

Those sound really good.

I am surprised that a Jewish deli would use lard for cooking.

Wonder if it was actually beef tallow. The two look quite similar. Beef tallow is what McDonalds used to make their fries back in the day. Back when they were good.

[simpleman68]

Looks damn good but I'd pass on the parmesan. I would dip them in sour cream after a good coating of sea or Himalayan salt though.
Scott

[Kerrmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

Wonder if it was actually beef tallow. The two look quite similar. Beef tallow is what McDonalds used to make their fries back in the day. Back when they were good.

Big square boxes with Maple Leaf lard labels on them, had to be kept in the fridge...pure white. Don't recall any source indicated.

[VatorMan]

If you've ever had anything fried in duck fat, well, you know.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by VatorMan

If you've ever had anything fried in duck fat, well, you know.

there is a place downtown that makes tater tots fried in duck fat...we call them "crack tots".

[Dan Dlabay]

Like onion rings without the cheese.

[Cybercowboy]

Originally Posted by Dixievet

there is a place downtown that makes tater tots fried in duck fat...we call them "crack tots".

Oh man. My dad sent me a whole smoked duck last Christmas, I peeled all the fat and skin off it and rendered it down. I used the meat in several ways like duck tacos, gumbo, and just to eat. The duck fat I rendered out was heavenly. Used it like butter, grilled cheese made with that was killer. Just some good toasted bread and spread it on there, so good. Duck fat is literally the king of fats.

[Rob]

Grilled up some duck at Christmas. This was half of what we had.