Chances are you don’t have a high-powered extruder to shoot wet corn dough into fluffy rings, so we’re going to improvise with pre-puffed corn cereal and a little carbonation. Make sure to roll your dough as thin as possible, or you’ll end up with Funyun funnel cakes instead of crispy chips.
YIELD: about 3 dozen rings
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
DIFFICULTY: 2
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: food processor, electric deep fryer (or a large pot and a candy/oil thermometer), pizza or pastry cutter
4 cups unsweetened puffed corn cereal
2 tablespoons corn flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (see page 12)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup cold beer or chilled sparkling water
vegetable or canola oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS:
Using a food processor, grind the puffed corn into powder. After about 30 to 45 seconds of whirring, there will still be a few chunks left, but most of the cereal should be pulverized.
Add the 2 tablespoons corn flour, onion powder, buttermilk powder, garlic powder, salt, and sugar, and pulse for 5 seconds to combine. With the food processor turned on, drizzle the beer or sparkling water through the feed tube just until a rough dough forms; you may not need the entire ⅓ cup of liquid.
Transfer the dough to a work surface dusted with corn flour and shape it into a disc. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 375°F in an electric deep fryer or large, high-sided pot. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and top with an upside-down wire cooling rack (see Deep Frying 101, page 188).
Divide the dough into quarters and roll one of the pieces into a rough 4-inch square approximately 1/8 inch thick. Use a pizza or pastry cutter to slice the dough square into 1/2-inch strips, then press the ends of each strip together to form a ring. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining dough.
Fry the rings in the hot oil until the rings are golden and the bubbling around the edges has mostly subsided. Frying time will vary depending on the size of your equipment, so watch carefully. Transfer the fried rings to the prepared baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or strainer to cool.
Serve fresh; the rings will become soggy after a day or two.