Blooming Onion
Hey, folks! I am so hungry for today’s Blooming Onion. These are pretty simple, you have to be a little bit careful with how you handle the petals. Don’t worry, I am going to help you through it.
Our blooming onion is going to have southwestern flair to it, to kick up the flavor cowboy-style and add to the amazing crunch that we will create with a couple of tricks I will share with you.
Blooming Onion Dipping Sauce
Start by making the dipping sauce. The ingredients are listed in the recipe below. Just mix them all together. Set the sauce in the ice box and it will make a perfect pair with the sizzling hot, golden fried onion you are going to be eating in about thirty minutes.
Grab a Sweet Onion
To start, you will need to pick a good onion. You can choose a sweet onion from Texas or a Vidalia from Georgia. I have made these with white onions before and they just lack some of the flavor you get from one of the real sweet onions.
Now, pay attention to the shape of the onion. It is best to have a wide, symmetrical side where the root of the onion is. This way, the onion will stay sitting on its side while you fry it and prevent it from rolling around in the oil, losing petals.
Now, to turn this onion into a beautiful flower, take a sharp knife and a cutting board. Cut straight off the top of the onion – the part the green came out of. Peel the onion skin.
Place the onion upside-down on the flat surface you just created when you cut off the top of the onion. Come down from the root about a half inch, just like the picture above, and make six equal sections. Once this is done, make two more cuts inside each section. Flip it over, and it will turn into a beautiful rose.
Tip: Watch the video above to see exactly how we cut this feller.
Mix the dry ingredients, including our mesquite seasoning to add a southwestern flavor – take a look at the recipe below for the exact amount of each spice needed. Mix the wet ingredients and whisk them really well. Now you are ready to baptize!
Double Baptizing Time
Dust the onion good with the corn starch. Then, set the onion in the bowl with the dry ingredients and get the whole onion coated really well. Spoon the dry mix into the petals of the onion so every bite will come out just perfect.
Tip: Dusting the onion with corn starch will help dry out the onion and will help the batter stick better.
Next, gently then place the onion in the wet ingredients, get it good and coated everywhere and then back to the dry ingredients again. This gets a little difficult and your hands are going to get messy. Then, do both again – dust the entire onion with the dry ingredients and place it back into the milk/egg mixture a second time. That’s why we call it a double baptism and it makes all of the difference.
Tip: Use the same spatula to gently submerge the onion down into the oil so the tips are well done.
Now time for the fun part. Find a large enough pot or Dutch oven so that you can fill it with enough oil that will cover the top of the onion. If you end up having to flip the onion around it will be unevenly cooked and will fall apart. Lift the battered onion and gingerly place the onion into the hot oil. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the onion is golden brown and ready to eat.
Tip: Towards the end of frying time, lift the onion from the bottom with a spatula just a little bit out of the oil to help the petals get separated and cooked thoroughly.
Dip and Eat
Take the sauce you made earlier out of the ice box and wait for the onion to cool just enough to eat. Then, dig in and enjoy!
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and we will see you down the blooming onion trail!
Blooming Onion - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon Red River Ranch Mesquite Seasoning or see substitution below
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 large yellow onion preferably Vidalia or Texas Sweet
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, ½ tablespoon cornstarch, Mesquite seasoning, chili powder and cumin.
- Cut the top of the onion about ½ inch down to make it set level (not the root end, the end that had the green growing from it). Peel the skin from the onion and place the uncut root side up. With a sharp knife, make 6 cuts about ½ inch down from the root end. Then rotate and make cuts in between the first cuts. Be sure not to cut too close to the root. With your hands, spread the cut onion slices apart to resemble a bloom.
- Sprinkle the onion lightly with cornstarch. Place the onion in the flour mixture and to coat well. Be sure to spread the onion apart to get it all covered.
- Dip the onion in the milk mixture to coat it well all over. Drain the onion from the wet mixture and place it back in the flour mixture to coat well.
- Add enough oil to a deep Dutch oven or pot that the onion can be submerged and heat to 375 degrees F.
- Shake the excess flour off the onion and place it gently in the oil. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until a deep golden brown and crispy. Make sure the onion is covered well with oil to ensure an equal fry time on all parts.
- Remove from the deep fryer and place on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm with dipping sauce.
Notes
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.
Cover and place in the fridge at least thirty minutes ahead of time. Mesquite seasoning available at KentRollins.com or use: 3 teaspoon seasoned salt, 3 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 3 teaspoons ancho chili powder
