How to Make the Crispiest Rings

There are all sorts of tricks for making deep-fry batters both delicate and crisp. Sometimes, recipes call for beating in beer or club soda (the little air bubbles lighten the mixture), or adding vodka (alcohol boils off more quickly than water, enhancing a batter’s texture). For these onion rings, Blais uses both strategies and amplifies their effect by aerating the batter in a siphon. The results are some of the laciest, crunchiest onion rings you’ll ever taste. This batter is equally good on all kinds of fried foods, like chicken, pork cutlets, fish and other vegetables. Blais on the Beauty of Crisp and Lacy Onion Rings 2. In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°. Put the Siphon p. 1 1 6 the remaining 1 cup of all-purpose flour in a shallow “In my restaurant total: 30 min • 2 to 4 servings bowl. Dredge the onion rings in the flour. Working in kitchen, 3 to 4 batches, shake off the excess flour and transfer I have nine or 1¾ cups all-purpose 1 cup light ale or lager the rings to a large bowl. 10 siphons lined flour ½ cup vodka Holding the siphon upside up on a rail, ½ cup plus Vegetable oil, for frying down, carefully press the each one labeled 1 tablespoon 1 medium sweet handle to dispense just with tape, each rice flour onion, sliced enough batter to coat the with a different Kosher salt crosswise rings. Using tongs, lift the ingredient ½ teaspoon ½ inch thick and onion rings from the batter, inside. It’s a baking soda separated into rings allowing any excess to drip neat design.” siphon tip off, and carefully transfer 1. In a bowl, whisk ¾ cup of the all-purpose flour with the them to the oil. Fry the onion Vigorously shaking rice flour, 1½ teaspoons of salt and the baking soda. Whisk rings until they are golden a siphon helps in the beer and vodka until the batter is very smooth. aerate its contents; brown and puffed, about 3 Strain the batter, then pour it into the canister of a 1-pint so does chilling minutes per batch. Drain on iSi Gourmet Whip Plus siphon. Seal the siphon and charge the ingredients and paper towels and season the charged siphon. it with one iSi cream (N 0) cartridge according to the lightly with salt. Repeat with 2 A towel helps manufacturer’s instructions. Shake the siphon to distrib- shield splatter when the remaining onion rings ute the gas. Repeat with a second cream cartridge. dispensing. and batter; serve hot.

siphon-Battered onion rings, Step-by-Step

dispense With the siphon upside fry Lift the onion rings from the drain Transfer the 1 down, press the handle to dispense 2 batter, allowing any excess to drip 3 rings to paper towels and allow them enough batter to coat the rings. off, then fry until crisp. to drain. Season with salt and eat hot. illustration: chris philpot. photograph: anson smart (blais). siphon by isi siphon by (blais). smart anson photograph: chris philpot. illustration:

120 july 2013 foodandwine.com The Quickest Pickles Ever

Even so-called quick pickles can take several hours or overnight to marinate. But fill a siphon with pickle ingredients and charge it with pressurized gas, and the brine penetrates deep into the vegetable in a matter of minutes. In addition to the cucumber in this bread- and-butter-pickle recipe, try the method with other With a siphon, thinly sliced vegetables, like , radishes and okra. cucumbers become pickles in Quick Bread-and-Butter Pickles under two hours. active: 30 min; total: 1 hr 30 min makes 2 cups

½ English cucumber ½ cup apple cider vinegar The Case for Foams (½ pound), ¼ cup sugar sliced crosswise ½ small jalapeño, chopped Foams may seem passé, an overused chef trick. But their „ inch thick ½ teaspoon celery seeds airy consistency can help make a good dish great. Consider ½ small onion, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric the blue-cheese foam here, made by loading a homemade very thinly sliced ¼ teaspoon jarred grated blue-cheese dressing into a siphon and charging it with 3 tablespoons kosher salt horseradish gas. Whether you’re serving the blue-cheese foam with an iceberg-lettuce wedge that is all about cool crunch, or 1. In a large colander, toss the cucumber and onion with 2 table- eating it with hot and crispy chicken wings, the light and spoons of the salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse the cucum- frothy texture is a wonderful contrast. ber and onion and drain well. 2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1 Blue-Cheese Foam tablespoon of kosher salt with 1 cup of water and the vinegar, sugar, active: 10 min; total: 50 min jalapeño, celery seeds, turmeric and horseradish; bring just to a makes about 2½ cups of foam boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove the brine from the heat. Add the cucumber and onion ½ cup full-fat sour cream 1 tablespoon and let cool completely; you should have ½ cup buttermilk red wine vinegar a total of 2 cups. 1½ ounces blue cheese, Kosher salt 3. Transfer the cucumber and onion with crumbled (¥ cup) the brine to the canister of a 1-pint iSi Gourmet Whip Plus siphon. Seal the 1. Combine everything except the salt in a blender and puree until siphon and charge it with one iSi cream very smooth. Season the mixture with salt and pour it into the can-

(N20) cartridge according to the manu- ister of a 1-pint iSi Gourmet Whip facturer’s instructions. Shake the siphon Plus siphon. Charge the siphon siphon tip to distribute the gas and refrigerate for with one iSi cream (N20) car- 20 minutes. tridge according to the manu- To get the pickles 4. Hold a measuring cup upside down facturer’s instructions. Shake out of the siphon, over the nozzle to catch any liquid. With the siphon and refrigerate until release the gas: the siphon in an upright position, very well chilled, 30 minutes. Hold the siphon upright, with a cup gently press the handle to release the 2. To serve, hold the siphon shielding the nozzle, gas. When all of the gas has been upside down and shake it. Press then gently press released, unscrew the top. Pour the pick- the lever to release the foam. the handle. Open the les into a bowl or jar and serve. serve with Sliced tomatoes, canister and pour out the pickles make ahead The pickles can be refriger- iceberg lettuce wedges, fresh

with their brine. ated in their brine for up to 2 weeks. figs or buffalo chicken wings.• lenox from spade kate by plate chris philpot. illustration:

122 july 2013 foodandwine.com sriracha- ranch foam

Blais loves aerating all sorts of dressings and condiments in a siphon. This Sriracha-ranch (or “Sri-rancha,” as he calls it) foam makes the perfect topping for a cutlet sandwich. ultra-light siphon sabayon

Glasses by Thomas Eyck Sabayon is a foamy dessert that typically has to be made just moments from ABC Carpet & before serving—if left to stand for too long, it deflates. With the help of a Home, siphon by iSi. siphon, you can make the sabayon hours in advance, and it will still be perfectly airy when it’s time for dessert. caraway rye cocktail

quick siphon caraway- infused rye whiskey

Cocktail glass A siphon makes quick work of alcohol infusions. Here, the device flavors rye by Moser. whiskey with caraway seeds in just one hour instead of several days. The whiskey is delicious mixed with lemon juice and celery bitters in a cocktail. brown-butter sponge cakes

Most cakes are leavened with baking soda or powder, but here, Blais uses a siphon to add air to batter. Then he squirts the batter into paper cups, microwaving each for just 45 seconds.