Wheat-Free Batter Fried Fish & Onion Rings

Now, I am not normally one to fry my food, but once in a while, it's a nice treat! Interestingly, I've been dinking around for years trying to make just the right batter for onion rings, and it took my family going wheat-and-egg-free for me to happen upon the perfect batter for both onion rings, ands it turns out, fish. And it's ridiculously simple. It's not gluten-free, though, for those who are truly sensitive, due to the beer. I hear you can substitute club soda quite nicely for beer in recipes such as these, though.

1 bottle good beer, I suggest IPA or whatever you have around
Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose GF Baking flour
1 lb or so white fish such as halibut, rockfish, or cod
1 large onion
salt & pepper & garlic powder
a whole bunch of high-temp oil such as canola or safflower

Mix beer and enough flour to make a thin batter, somewhat thinner than what you would use to make pancakes with. Be aware that this flour seems to absorb liquid as it sits, so maybe don't put the whole bottle in at first. You could always thin the batter with water if necessary. Add as much salt as you think is reasonable, and then a little more, some pepper, and just a dash of garlic powder. Slice onion into rings and fish into fingers, about 8 pieces out of the pound.

Preheat oven to 365 degrees and turn your vent fan on if you have one. Heat an inch or two of oil in a cast-iron skillet until it is also 365 degrees- I have no better method than using a candy/deep-fry thermometer to know you are hot enough. I think a spoonful of the batter would float and turn golden brown in 5 minutes or so if it as right, though, if you don't have a thermometer that goes up that high (warning: many digital meat thermometers will fry their innards at this temp).

Using a long fork, dip the fish into the batter and slide into the oil and fry until golden on the bottom, 3-5 minutes or so; turn over and fry another minute or two on the other side. Fish will be done in the middle when the outside is golden unless you cut the pieces really big. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels or a brown paper bag and drain the fish on the bag, sticking the sheet in the hot oven while you cook the rest of the fish, and then the onion rings. The onion rings don't take as long as the fish to cook. Yum!