French Fry Diary 438: Sandwich King Onion Rings

We've talked about Jeff Mauro the Sandwich King before. The Bride and I are fans. On his show, called surprisingly enough, "Sandwich King," sometimes he makes a side or two that may be of interest to folks here at French Fry Diary. In the season two episode "Classics with a Twist," he makes baked onion rings.

Here's Jeff's recipe for Oven Baked Onion Rings:

Prep Time: 10 min, Cook Time: 20 min, Level: Easy, Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 4 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 cups buttermilk, 4 eggs, 3 cups panko breadcrumbs, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 large yellow sweet onions, such as Maui, sliced 1/4-to-1/2-inch thick

Directions: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place parchment paper onto 2 baking sheets and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the flour, paprika and 2 teaspoons salt. In another bowl or shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Add half of the flour mixture to the buttermilk and beat until smooth and thickened.

In a separate bowl, combine the panko, olive oil and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Lightly dredge the onion rings in the flour mixture and then drop into the buttermilk. Drain the excess batter and then dredge in the panko mixture.

Arrange on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer. You can place smaller rings inside bigger rings if necessary, just make sure there is space between them. Then place in the oven. Cook until golden brown, 14 to 20 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, flip over each onion ring to ensure even crisping and browning.

Check out the complete recipe here.

French Fry Diary 431: The Sandwich King's Hand Cut Fries

It's Food Network Friday, so here's another entry and recipe from the Sandwich King Jeff Mauro. In the episode entitled "Hot Diggity Dog," Jeff visits Gene's & Jude's in his hometown of Chicago, where they specialize in a very special kind of hot dog - one smothered in fresh cut French fries.

If I was local to Chicago I would have checked Gene's & Jude's out, but since I'm not, I'll have to depend on Jeff via the magic of television. As per usual on "Sandwich King," after learning how to do it at the restaurant of choice, Jeff heads home to create his own version of the sandwich. Including the fries. Mmmm… fries…

Here's Jeff's recipe for Hand Cut Fries with Celery Salt:

Prep Time: 15 min, Cook Time: 15 min, Level: Easy, Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients: Vegetable oil, 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed, peel-on, Celery salt, for sprinkling

Directions: Fill a 6-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven two-thirds of the way full with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fat thermometer registers 375 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks. Fry the potatoes in batches, until golden brown, 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with celery salt and serve immediately.

Check out the full recipe here. "Sandwich King" airs new episodes on Sunday mornings.

French Fry Diary 369: Jeff Mauro's Butter Garlic Oven Fries

Here's a special treat for today's Food Network Friday. I've shared stuff from the Sandwich King Jeff Mauro before, and as I've mentioned I like the guy. He has a healthy respect for the favorite fried food.

In the season two episode of "Sandwich King," called "Bigger, Better Burgers," one of Jeff's takes on potato wedges is featured. You can find his recipe for Butter Garlic Oven Fries with Herbs here. Check it out.