Crispiest Homemade Onion Rings 2 Ways (Traditional and Tempura Style)

Traditional Onion Rings:

1. For the sauce, in a medium bowl add in all ingredients and mix together until fully incorporated.
2. Cut the onion tops off and cut into 1” rings. Peel off the outermost layer and pop out the inside layers for individual rings. Remove any inside membrane from each ring.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, dijon mustard, and milk until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined into a smooth batter.
4. In two separate bowls, add in panko bread crumbs and flour.
5. Toss and thoroughly coat onions in the flour, submerge completely in batter, drain on a wire rack before dropping into the panko bread crumbs.
6. Fill a pot with 2.5” of frying oil and heat to 365℉. Fry onions in batches for 2-3 minutes. Occasional flip for even browning.
7. Drain on a wire rack set over a baking sheet immediately seasoned with salt.

Tentsuyu Dipping Sauce:

1. In a medium pot, combine water, kombu strips, and bonito flakes. Heat over medium heat until just steaming. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
2. In a separate pan, heat sake over medium-high heat until boiling. Using a long lighter, or hand-held torch carefully light the sake.
3. Once the alcohol has burned off from the flame (which has died down at this point), carefully pour the sake into a small bowl.
4. In a medium bowl, strain the bonito kombu water and add in the sake, mirin and soy sauce. Stir together.
5. Before serving, grate in ginger and daikon into a small bowl before pouring in the tentsuyu sauce. 

Tempura Onion Rings:

1. In a large bowl, fill with all dry ingredients before whisking in club soda until combined. Toss in a couple ice cubes to keep cold.
2. Cut the onion tops off and cut into 1” rings. Peel off the outermost layer and pop out the inside layers for individual rings. Remove any inside membrane from each ring.
3. Heat oil to 375℉. Toss and coat onion rings in flour, dunk in batter, and gently spin the ring when dropping into the oil.
4. Fry for a couple of seconds then spin the onion quickly using chopsticks 3-4 minutes (flip halfway through). Use the other hand to allow excess batter to drizzle onto the onion ring while it spins for a few seconds.
5. Drain on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet immediately seasoned with salt.
6. Rinse and repeat with the remaining onion rings.