Recipes

French Fried Onions

Recipe No. 603 from the U.S. Army's WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Army TM10-412 · Side Dish · Vegetable

Serves 100 servings, approximately ½ cup each.

Recipe No. 603 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

  • Onions, large — 30 pounds
  • Milk, evaporated — 5 — 14½-ounce cans
  • Flour, sifted — 1¼ pounds (1¼ No. 56 dippers)
  • Salt — 1½ ounces (3 mess kit spoons)
  • Pepper — (¼ mess kit spoon)
  • Shortening (for frying) — as needed

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

  1. Wash onions; peel. Cut into slices ¼ inch thick. Separate slices into rings.
  2. Dip onion rings in milk; drain thoroughly.
  3. Mix flour, salt and pepper together; dip onion rings in flour mixture.
  4. Fry in deep hot fat (375° F.) until golden brown.
  5. Drain on absorbent paper.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Onions, large — 2 lb 6⅓ oz Milk, evaporated — ½ can (14½ oz) Flour, sifted — 1⅔ oz Salt — about ¾ tsp Pepper — scale to taste ((¼ mess kit spoon)) Shortening (for frying) — to taste

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 603, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.