Blooming Onion

I was first introduced to the Blooming Onion appetizer by an Australian friend who I went to college with many years ago. What was funny, was, he said they don't do a Blooming Onion down under and that this was an American thing. Either way, I love me a Blooming Onion.  Then I learned how to make my own at home and now I'm dangerous because I can have one whenever I want one. Here's how to make your own. 

I always make my dipping sauce first so it can chill in the fridge while I make the onion. Here is the list of ingredients for the dipping sauce: 

1/2 cup mayo

2 tablespoons horseradish sauce or just horseradish in a jar

1/2 tablespoon ketchup

1/3 teaspoon paprika

1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pinch of ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set. 

Now onto the breaded coating mixture:

You will need two large bowls for this stage - one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients. You will dip your onion in the dry ingredients first then into the wet ingredients then back into the dry again before air frying or deep frying your onion. I prefer deep frying gives it a better texture and flavor. So here is your list of ingredients. 

wet ingredients are as follows: 

1 cup milk

2 eggs

 mix well and set aside for a minute 

dry ingredients are as follows: 

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground  cumin

1 cup frying oil

1 large sweet onion (yellow)

Directions

1.   In a small mixing bowl make your dipping sauce. Mix mayonnaise, horseradish, ketchup, paprika, cayenne, salt, oregano, and black pepper together in a bowl until completely mixed well. Refrigerator until needed.

2.   In a larger bowl combine your wet ingredients.

3.   In another larger bowl combine your dry ingredients. 

4.   Prepare your onion by Slicing 1 inch off of the top and bottom of the onion and removing the papery skin. Use a large, sharp knife to slice down the center of the onion about 3/4 of the way down; turn the onion 90 degrees and slice again. Keep slicing each section in half until you have 16 sections, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the onion.

5.   Spread "petals" apart.

6.   Dip the onion into the seasoned flour mixture, separating the petals and sprinkling the flour mixture between them. Dip the onion into the milk mixture, then coat with the flour mixture again to ensure all pieces are well coated.

7.   Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make sure you use enough oil to completely cover the onion when it fries.

8.   Lower onion, cut-side up, into the hot oil, and fry until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain on a rack or on paper towels.

9.   Open the center of the onion wide enough to fit the bowl of dipping sauce and serve.

Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.