crispy tobacco onions

Crispy fried tobacco onions with spicy seasoning are one of those snacks there's never enough of. Onions deep fried in crunchy coating, served as a snack or a topping, they re-define the word 'moreish'.

I live with a man who used to hate onions. He hated them so much that for a time I was banned from eating them myself, lest my breath should smell of the hateful stuff. It is now maintained that the anecdote is a complete fabrication and myth, nevertheless – he was a veritable onion hater.

And he likes the crispy tobacco ones.

How good must they be then?

Damn tasty and moreish – that’s how.
I first had them a few weeks ago in a lovely restaurant in New Forest, coming with a hearty recommendation. A little suspicious first (tobacco? do they actually soak baccy leaves and then chuck in onions for flavour? or do they smoke lots of fags in the kitchen while frying onions?*), they had me at first bite. There weren’t too many bites to follow because the Former Onion Hater took care of most of the bowl.

I followed up with research as I do and here’s my recipe – a little bit of fuss cause of deep frying, but SO WORTH IT. The recipe is a compilation of several, method as in Paul Rankin’s and spices added at my fancy. They go best with steak, chops or burgers – but you might just polish them on their own given a chance.

*boringly, none of those proved to be true. They are called ‘tobacco’ due to their colour and curly appearance similar to dried tobacco leaves.