A Blooming Onion is a deep-fried onion cut into the shape of a flower, which is primarily known in the USA. The American steakhouse chain Outback is famous for this deep-fried appetizer.
The following ingredients are needed for two Blooming Onions:
2 vegetable onions (as large as possible)
For the seasoning flour
300 g flour
4 tsp paprika powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
For the frying batter
450 ml milk
2 eggs
For the dip
100 ml mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tablespoon cream horseradish
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions :
For the seasoning, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Tip: Instead of plain paprika powder, you can also use smoked paprika powder. For the frying batter, whisk the milk with the eggs in a separate bowl. Also for the dip, just stir all the ingredients together and then put it in the fridge again. Then comes the most important step: cutting the onion properly.
If you don’t have a Blooming Onion cutter, the only option is to cut the onion with a knife. To do this, turn the onion onto the cut surface so that the root points upwards. Since the root is responsible for the cohesion of the onion, it must remain whole. Therefore, you start with a sharp knife below the root and thus cut the onion into even petals.
Once the onion is cut, place it in a bowl of ice water for an hour. The cold water causes the onion to open up and the individual layers to separate from each other. When you take the onions out of the ice water, you should shake them well and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
In the meantime, preheat the deep fryer to 170 degrees. Then prepare the onion: First, put the onion in the bowl with the seasoning flour. Make sure that the onion is evenly dusted with flour and that there is enough flour in the spaces between the onions. Then dip the onion flower into the milk-egg mixture and put it again into the seasoning flour, where a second layer is now applied. Again, work as conscientiously as possible and distribute the flour in all the gaps. This step will determine the final appearance of the Blooming Onion.
Then place the onion upside down in the fryer, so that the root points upwards. The Blooming Onion is now deep fried for 4 minutes, then flipped and deep fried for another 4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. It is then placed on kitchen paper to drain. The warm onion is served with the dip.
