"Vidalia Onion Strings with Horseradish Aioli

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• horseradish aioli:
• vegetable oil for frying (to a depth of at least 3 inches)
• 1 good sized Vidalia onion
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp horseradish cream
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• a dash of salt
• lots of freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Details

Adapted from theviewfromgreatisland.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

Peel and thinly slice the onion. I use my mandoline slicer set between 1/8 and 1/4 inch.
Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl and add the onions, carefully separating the rings with your fingers.
In a pie plate or similar dish toss together the cornmeal, salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large pot to a temperature of 340-350F. A clip on thermometer helps.
When the oil is hot, grab a handful of rings from the buttermilk and let the excess drip off. Toss them in the cornmeal, coating all surfaces. Shake off any excess before dropping them in the oil. Fry for about a minute and a half, until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels. (Fry the onions in batches to avoid crowding the pan.)
Mix the horseradish aioli ingredients together and serve with the onion strings.
Notes:
Double or triple the recipe if you like, but make separate batches of the cornmeal mixture because it will get increasingly clumped as the wet onion rings are dredged in it.
It’s important that you get your oil hot enough before frying your rings. I use an inexpensive clip on thermometor to insure I get the right temperature. You can find them on Amazon.