Crispy Onion Strings

These easy Crispy Onion Strings are the perfect topping for sandwiches, salads, and soups….or delicious all on their own!

So. We have an interesting thing going on around here. A thing with Myla, and her adorable 2 year old ways, and specifically, her adorable (or not so adorable) 2 year old language.

As it turns out, Myla has a real tendency to mix up certain sounds – specifically at the beginning of words. So Baby Gabe is Baby Babe and food is shood and truck is cuck. All of which are fine and good and  just require a little bit of interpretation. But then, there’s the fact that she replaces all her s’s with f’s….at the start of words….and suddenly we have a bit of a problem.

Because suddenly, every time anything is stuck in any way, she’s yelling, “f*@%!”….usually on repeat….until you figure it out and help her get un-stuck. And suddenly, every time we’re at Trader Joe’s, she’s so excited about getting a sucker at the checkout that she’s literally walking around the store saying, “f*@%er! f*@%er!” which, as you would imagine, is not quite what anyone expects to hear coming from a sweet little 2 year old.

I honestly don’t know whether to be mortified or find it hilarious. I guess a combination of the two!? And the fact that f*@% has become a regular household word….well, what can we do? Some things are just beyond our control. But you know what’s not beyond our control? Having Crispy Onion Strings – just like the ones you get at a restaurant. I honestly shied away from trying to make these for years. Because frying makes me nervous…and I knew that baking them just wouldn’t be the same. But I finally reached a point where I needed some crispy onion string goodness to top my salads and sandwiches at home! And you guys….I don’t regret it. They’re crispy and flavorful and totally not hard to make. A little dangerous, yes. (Dangerously delicious!) But no more dangerous than a 2 year old who walks around yelling obscenities! At least the Crispy Onion Strings won’t get any sideways glances!

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Crispy Onion Strings

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 4

Author Cathy Trochelman

Ingredients

• 1 large onion I used red, but vidalia would work well too
• 2 c. buttermilk
• 1 c. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• oil for frying

Instructions

1. Slice onion into thin rings.
2. Place in container with buttermilk; cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and seasonings.
4. Heat oil in a medium saucepan to 375 degrees.
5. Remove a handful of onions from buttermilk, dip in flour mixture (shake to remove excess) and place in hot oil .
6. Fry until golden brown; remove from oil and place on paper towel-lined plate.
7. Season with salt as desired.