Recipe: Almost Like Leonard's Onion Rings

ALMOST LIKE LEONARD'S ONION RINGS

"Leonard Heuberger is generally credited with creating Memphis-style barbecue sandwiches at this tiny restaurant on South Bellevue Boulevard. Leonard's opened in 1922 and immediately began serving his trademark sandwich: barbecued pork, pulled and piled on a bun, sprinkled with a tomato-vinegar sauce, and crowned with coleslaw. Teenagers, among them Elvis Presley, flooded the place in the 50s, ordering pig sandwiches with another of Leonard's specialties, onion rings, on the side. Here's a way to create a similar version of his onion rings at home."

4 large onions
2 cups buttermilk
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
Cooking oil

Peel onions. Slice 1/2-inch thick and separate into rings. Use no ring smaller than a silver dollar, (if you can remember how big a silver dollar is). Soak overnight in buttermilk.

Combine flour, cornmeal, onion powder, salt, sugar, milk, and eggs, and mix well.

Pour oil to a depth of 2-inches in a saucepan, and heat to 375 degrees F.

Dip each onion ring in batter, then fry about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain and serve hot.

From: Jack Daniel's Old Time Barbecue Cookbook by Vince Staten
Source: Best of the Best from Tennessee by Gwen McKee, Barbara Moseley and Tupper England