Enjoying Sherry Wine Pairings and Recipes Fino

Cider Battered Onions

Pair with Fino

This is a quick recipe we’ve served a number of times at ‘The Basement’ supper club as a nibble and it’s superb, ridiculously easy to knock out, cheap and absolutely delicious. The flavour combination of deep fried, hot battered onions and the sharp tang of the onion salt is cracking. I wish I could say it’s my recipe, but it’s pinched from Mark Hix, although we only use one type of onion, made our own onion salt, and most importantly changed the name of the dish, which makes all the difference….probably!. Just a couple of onions make enough to feed a whole horde, so they're very economical too.

Ingredients

Large Spanish Onions

80g

Self raising flour

120ml

Cider

Ground

Salt & pepper

For frying

Vegetable Oil

For dusting

Plain Flour

2 Tbsp

Sea Salt

2 Tbsp

Dried Onions

Directions

First make the onion salt by blitzing the onions and the salt together in a mini processor until suitably pulverised into a fine, salty dust.

Peel and slice the onions in half, and then into 1cm thick half moons. Separate the slices.

Make the batter, put the flour in a bowl and whisk in the cider until it’s thick and smooth. Season and leave to rest for 30 mins.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer to 180C – be mindful that it’s incredibly scorchio so don’t go sticking any delicate appendages in there. Remember, if you burn those fingers, you won’t be able to continue with the next step, which is…

Season the flour for dusting the onions.

Toss the onions in the flour, then coat in the cider batter before dropping into the hot oil. Work in small batches.

When golden and crisp, remove and drain on kitchen paper before sprinkling with the onion salt.

Dan VN , The Basement Supper Club Bristol United Kingdom Visit Website

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Pairing Fino with food

It is an ideal aperitif wine and goes well with all types of tapa, especially olives, nuts and Iberian cured ham.

Also providing the perfect companion for shellfish and fish, especially those with a marked salty taste (anchovies) or even raw (sashimi).

Its low acetic acid content combines exceptionally well with dishes of marked acidity (vinaigrette salads, marinades, etc.) as well as with cold soups (gazpacho, ajo blanco, etc.).