Panko Onion Rings

📝 Ingredients

• 2 brown onions (about 150 g each)
• 25 g plain flour
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp water
• 50 g panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100 g Greek yoghurt 2%
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Air fryer
• Chopping board
• Knife
• 3 shallow bowls
• Kitchen tongs
• Bowl

📖 Steps

1. Peel the onions and cut them into 1 cm thick slices. Gently separate the rings with your fingers, without breaking them. The tiny rings from the centre can be breaded too: they'll simply cook a little faster.
2. Set out three shallow bowls: the flour with a pinch of salt, the egg beaten with the water using a fork, and the panko breadcrumbs mixed with the smoked paprika and a pinch of salt.
3. Dip each ring in the flour, shaking off the excess, then in the egg, letting it drip, and finally in the panko, pressing lightly so it's well coated. Keep one hand for the dry mix and one for the egg, or your fingers will get breaded too.
4. Preheat the air fryer for 3 min at 200 °C. Arrange half the rings in the basket in a single layer, without overlapping, then drizzle with half the oil. Cook in two batches: an overloaded basket gives a soggy coating.
5. Cook for 10 min at 200 °C, turning the rings halfway through with tongs, until the coating is golden and crispy and the onion is tender inside. Repeat with the remaining rings and oil. In the oven: 220 °C, 15 min on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. While they cook, make the sauce: mix the Greek yoghurt and mustard, season lightly with salt and add pepper. Taste: the sauce should be fresh, with a slight hint of mustard.
7. Serve immediately, piping hot, with the sauce on the side for dipping: the rings lose their crunch as they cool. Serve the first batch while the second cooks, or keep it warm in the oven at 100 °C.