Fried Onion Blooms
Fried onion blooms turn one big onion into a crisp, golden centerpiece that you pull apart petal by petal. The trick is the ice water soak, which makes the cut layers fan open so the beer batter reaches every surface. Taking out the center leaves a hollow that holds a small cup of creamy chili sauce. Each onion is fried for only about three minutes in total.
Instructions
Heat a deep fryer to 375°F (190°C). Stand each onion root end down on a cutting board and slice ¾ inch (2 cm) off the top, then peel it.
Cut down through the center of each onion from top to root, stopping before you cut through the base. Keep making cuts around the onion like the hours on a clock face until you have 6 or 8 in total. Then remove about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the center.
Soak the onions in ice water for 15 minutes so the cut sections open outward. If an onion has not opened enough, cut a little deeper.
Dip each onion in seasoned flour and shake gently to knock off the excess. Then dip it in beer batter and shake off the excess again, separating the layers by hand if needed so every part is coated.
Using a fryer basket, lower the onions into the oil with care. Fry for about a minute and a half, then lift the basket out, turn the onions over, and return them to the oil.
Fry for about another minute and a half, until golden. Drain the onions on a towel and serve hot, with a small cup of sour cream chili sauce set in the hollow at the center.
Make it personal.
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