Cider Battered Onions

This is a quick recipe we’ve served a number of times at ‘The Basement’ supper club as a nibble and it’s bloody superb, ridiculously easy to knock out, cheap and absolutely frigging delicious. The flavour combination of deep fried, hot battered onions and the sharp tang of the onion salt is cracking.

I wish I could say it’s my recipe, but it’s pinched from Mark Hix, although we only use one type of onion, made our own onion salt, and most importantly changed the name of the dish, which makes all the difference….probably…errr….not so much.

Just a couple of onions make enough to feed a whole frigging horde, it’s amazing, so it’s tres frugal too and therefore suitable recession eating.

Cider Battered Onions

Serves – a lot

You’ll Need:-
2 Large Spanish Onions

For the cider batter
80g Self Raising Flour
120ml Cider
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying
Plain Flour For Dusting

For the onion salt
2 Tbsp Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Dried Onions

First make the onion salt by blitzing the onions and the salt together in a mini processor until suitably pulverised into a fine, salty dust.

Peel and slice the onions in half, and then into 1cm thick half moons. Separate the slices.

Make the batter, put the flour in a bowl and whisk in the cider until it’s thick and smooth. Season and leave to rest for 30 mins.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer to 180C – be mindful that it’s incredibly scorchio so don’t go sticking any delicate appendages in there. Remember, if you burn those fingers, you won’t be able to continue with the next step, which is…

Season the flour for dusting the onions.

Toss the onions in the flour, then coat in the cider batter before dropping into the hot oil. Work in small batches.

When golden and crisp, remove and drain on kitchen paper before sprinkling with the onion salt.

I'm not the only one suggesting eating the lot, whilst hot and necking loads of cold Fino sherry. Refuse to share. (That's just me).