Given a choice between french fries and onion rings, most restaurant-goers opt for fries, which is tragic, but I get it. Fries are the surer bet because they’re simple to make: Just cut up some potatoes, fry them (twice, ideally) in bubbling oil until crisp and evenly golden, drain, and season. Very reliable.
Ordering onion rings is a riskier proposition. Though sublime in their most perfect state—a crisp, light crust fully encasing a tender, savory circle of onion—there are so many ways for them to disappoint. The crust can break into shards and fall off the onion, robbing you of that interplay of crisp, toasty exterior and tender interior. Sometimes the onion pokes through the batter and, uninsulated, burns in the hot oil. And then there’s the classic problem of onion escape, where you take your first bite and the whole onion hoop slips from its shell,
