Shoestring Onion Rings
Prep. Time:
25 min
Baking Time:
15 min
Total Time:
40 min
Serves:
4 servings
Britt created this component recipe for Tournament of Champions Season 7. These shoestring onion rings were the standout element of her Ribeye Pepperoni Steakhouse Burger, singled out by judge Geoffrey Zakarian as his favourite part of the whole dish. Finely sliced yellow onions are soaked in milk, dredged in a seasoned cornstarch-flour coating, and fried at 180°C until deeply golden and shatteringly crisp. The cornstarch is the key variable, keeping the crust light and shattery rather than thick and doughy. Serve immediately - these go soft within minutes.
Chef’s Notes
Mandoline vs knife: A mandoline is strongly recommended. Even a few strands at irregular thickness will puff and brown at different rates, creating a patchy batch. The 1–2 mm setting gives you the true “shoestring” fineness Britt achieved on the show.
Last-minute item: These go soft fast. Have every other element of your plate ready before you fry. They are a 2–3 minute job and should hit the plate immediately.
Variations
A splash of hot sauce stirred into the milk soak adds a low-level heat throughout. A
pinch of dried oregano in the flour leans further into the pepperoni-Italian direction of Britt’s original dish.
Scaling: The recipe scales easily. Maintain the flour-to-cornstarch ratio (roughly 4:1 by volume) and keep oil at depth for proper submersion.
Ingredients
Instructions
PREPARE THE ONIONS
Halve the onions through the root and peel. Using a mandoline set to 1–2 mm (or as fine a knife cut as you can manage), slice into thin half-rings. Separate all layers into individual strands. The thinner and more uniform the slice, the crispier and more delicate the final result.
SOAK IN MILK
Place the onion strands in a bowl and pour over the milk, pressing down so they are submerged. Soak for at least 20 minutes. The milk softens the raw sharpness of the onion and gives the flour coating something to cling to.
MAKE THE SEASONED FLOUR
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder and cayenne in a wide shallow bowl. The cornstarch displaces some of the gluten in the flour, keeping the crust light and shattery rather than thick and doughy.
HEAT THE OIL
Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven to a depth of at least 8 cm. Heat over medium-high to 180°C / 355°F. Use a thermometer — temperature is everything. Too cool and the onions steam and go greasy; too hot and the coating burns before the onions soften.
DREDGE
Working in handfuls, lift the onion strands from the milk and let excess drip off, then toss thoroughly in the seasoned flour. Shake off any loose excess — clumps of dry flour will burn and turn bitter in the oil.
FRY IN BATCHES
Carefully lower a handful into the hot oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes per batch until deeply golden and crisp. Do not crowd the pot: overcrowding drops the oil temperature and causes the onions to steam rather than fry, losing the crunch entirely.
DRAIN AND SEASON
Remove with a spider or slotted spoon onto a wire rack set over a tray — not paper towels, which trap steam and soften the coating. Season immediately with a pinch of extra salt while still hot. Serve at once; these go soft within minutes.
