A Thing for Rings
By Larry Knowles
San Diego Union Tribune
08/16/06
The french fry simply can’t compare to the savory, versatile onion ring
It is my strong conviction that onion rings deserve a higher standing in the pantheon of side dishes.

The onion ring should be seen as the equal of the french fry, rather than be grouped with second-class fried sides such as mushrooms, zucchini, or mozzarella sticks.

The onion ring has so much going for it. Contrast, for one thing: It’s sweet and savory, crunchy and slippery. It has an interesting, fun-to-eat shape that also increases the odds of happy fryer accidents like “doubles.”

The onion ring plays well with others – welcoming different crunchy delights into its paper-lined basket and pairing comfortably with dipping sauces both sweet and creamy.

The onion ring can go anywhere a french fry can go, and other places besides. It can be used to top a burger, a pork chop, or a steak.

And as if that weren’t enough, the onion ring has a certain specialness to it.

French fries often feel as if they were thrown in to complete some kind of Meal Deal, but never the onion ring. When you are presented with an order of plump rings, you know it’s party time.

Feeling that it was high time onion rings got their due, I convened a group to seek out the best rings in San Diego. Joining me in this yeomanly band of tasters were Danny Banisters, sous chef at Pamplemousse Grille; my wife, Joy, a staunch french fry defender; and our infant son, Oliver, who still mired in the sweet-potato phase of solid food introduction, participated in an observational capacity.

We solicited recommendations and reached for the golden rings at some of San Diego’s most vehemently supported outlets. We liked what we found, but we felt there was something missing.

The problem, we realized, is a fundamental error in the way onion rings are looked at – as a side, not a star. Even San Diego’s best onion rings are intended for consumption with something else. You go to a burger place for the burgers – and maybe you get some rings. You go to a rib place for the ribs – and maybe you get some rings.

This is not the fault of our fine restaurateurs. In fact, it’s probably an intelligent way to run an establishment, given that no one ever says, “Let’s go to that onion ring place,” or “Do you want Chinese, Italian, or onion rings?”

This situation does, however, have the unfortunate effect of leaving someone who is eating nothing but rings feeling a little hollow.

To right this wrong, Bannister and I developed a recipe we call Onion Mignon. An onion medallion marinated in porter, coated in panko crumbs, and gently fried, it is intended to be offered with a mixed green salad as a lunch or light dinner.

Enticed by rumors of a Harp beer batter, we entered the Dublin Square Irish Pub in the Gaslamp. The rings here were the best we found on our quest. They were dipped in a Harp-based batter, then rolled in panko bread crumbs and fried lightly. An order of rings cost $6.95 and came with malt vinegar and a honey mustard sauce.

The technique of both battering and bread-crumbing the rings proved extremely effective. A delicate battering gave the ring some heft, and the crumbs added a welcome crunch. The beer in the batter added flavor, which, since we were eating the rings by themselves, we appreciated.

Rating: 8