Blooming onions are slowly making a comeback in our local eateries. They are basically whole onions cut in sections to expose the onion ‘leaves’, then are coated in egg and seasoned flour and fried until golden and crispy. They make great starters or snacks for the table served with assorted dips and sprinkles.
These babies are delicious with a blue cheese dip, spicy tomato sauce or salsa, pesto, cheese sauce, sour cream, guacamole and creamy dressings. Sprinkle with crispy bacon bits, fried chorizo, grated cheese, truffle and thyme infused rock salt – the options are endless.
Here’s a recipe for 2 beautiful blooming onions with a blue cheese dip. My other favourite serving option has to be mature Cheddar cheese sauce with crispy bacon bits.
To see the step by step gallery, click here.
Ingredients: (makes 2)
2 large onions
4 eggs
½ c (125 ml) milk
Seasoned flour:
1 ½ c (375 ml) cake flour
½ c (125 ml) corn flour – this makes the onions extra crispy!
1 T (15 ml) seasoned salt
½ t (2.5 ml) turmeric
1 t (5 ml) paprika
½ t (2.5 ml) cayenne pepper- optional
Method:
Cut the tips of the onions off then cut in quarters to the root but not through – the root need to stay intact.
Remove the onion skins.
Divide each quarter in half so you end up with 8 equal sections. Carefully pull apart each section to expose the “leaves”.
Beat the eggs and milk together and place in a large bowl.
Mix the seasoned flour ingredients together in a bowl. Get another bowl out and a sieve.
Dip into the egg until well coated.
Place onion over a sieve and bowl and scatter with flour, shaking it around until generously coated.
Place onion in an empty dish and pour egg mixture over the flour coated onion then whirl it around making sure it is once again coated well in egg.
Sprinkle the onion over the sieve and bowl again until well coated. Repeat process with second onion.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large heavy based deep pot.
When oil is hot enough add one onion root side up and fry for 5 minutes or so or until “leaves” are crispy, then turn and fry for another 5 minutes then lastly turn over one more time and fry for +- 2 minutes until golden and crispy all-round. Repeat with second onion.
Serve hot with blue cheese dip on the side. Simply pull apart the leaves and dip away!
Blue cheese dip:
125 ml sour cream
juice of 1 lemon
+- 60 g crumbled blue cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T (15 ml) chopped parsley
Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
By Carey Erasmus – food writer, recipe developer and food stylist.