Oven Baked Onion Rings - Gluten Free

I went out to a Burger Bar last week with some friends as I do love Hamburgers and French Fries. But, what caught my eye that night were the Onion Rings that I couldn't eat as they were dipped into a Tempura Batter made with wheat. I've been craving Onion Rings ever since and I finally decided to make some that are Gluten Free. I also didn't want to deep fry them as they get so greasy, so I chose to Oven Bake them drizzled with just a little oil on the baking sheet. I debated about which coating to use. Traditionally, Onion Rings are made with a batter and there are recipes out there that use Rice Flour and Gluten Free Flour along with Beer or Soda Water. Another variation uses Bread Crumbs or Panko and there are both of those products available in a Gluten Free form. Some people like to use Cornmeal, for an extra crunch. But, I decided to use Potato Flour (also called Potato Starch) and I used regular Yellow Onions, instead of the sweet ones as I think they have more flavor. The Onion Rings turned out fantastic and I ate the entire helping in one sitting!  It was a good thing they were an experiment as I only made one Onion's worth - I'm giving you the recipe for two so you can share. They were just as Onion Rings should be, shatteringly crispy on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside. You just have to try Onion Rings made this way!

Oven Baked Onions Rings - Gluten Free

2 Yellow Onions, peeled and sliced into thin rings 

1 cup Almond Milk (you can also use Soy Milk or Regular Milk)

1 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Potato Flour (Potato Starch)

1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (I used Paul Prudhomme's Vegetable Magic)

3 Tablespoons Light Flavored oil (I used Safflower)

Pour Almond Milk into a bowl and mix in the Salt. Put in the Onion Rings and let soak for at least 15 minutes.  Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a large plate, mix together the Potato Flour and Seasoned Salt. Get a large baking sheet ready by drizzling with oil. Take Onions Rings out a few at a time and coat in the Potato Flour mixture.  Then put onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all Onion Rings are coated.  

Place the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to turn Onion Rings over. Cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes, watching carefully until crispy and light Golden Brown. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired. 

Five Element Analysis

Onions belong to the Metal Element and are very good for you as they are a Qi Tonic!  The Almond Milk and Potato Flour bring in the Earth Element. There is a hint of the Fire Element in the Paprika that is part of the Seasoned Salt and the Oven Baking adds some Fire as well. The Water and Wood Elements are missing, so clearly this dish is meant to be eaten with other foods, if you can wait long enough to serve them in a meal!