INGREDIENTS:
To Make the Batter
cornstarch, 1/3 cup
a half cup of flour
2 tsp minced garlic
paprika, 2 tsp
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tsp black pepper
12 ounces of beer
4 Vidalia onions (or a big sweet onion of your choice)
2-3 cups frying oil (olive or peanut)
For the Seasoned Flour
flour (two cups)
paprika, 2 tsp
2 tsp powdered garlic
a half teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
For the Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup chili-tomato sauce
INSTRUCTIONS:
To Prepare the Onions
To make the batter, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and spices in a mixing bowl until smooth. Mix in the beer nicely.
In a separate dish, make the seasoned flour by adding and mixing the ingredients.
Cut approximately 3/4 of an inch from the top of the onion and peel it. Cut 12 to 16 vertical slices out of the onion, but don’t go all the way through the root end. Remove about 1 inch of the onion’s petals from the center. You may want to split the onion petals slightly, but not too much, or the onion will be ruined.
Preheat your deep-fryer to 375-400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Each onion should be dipped in seasoned flour. Shake the onion lightly to remove any extra flour. Separate the petals and thoroughly coat them in the batter. Next, the onion is dipped in the batter and then back into the flour mixture.
Place gently in a frying basket and cook for 1.5 minutes. Fry for another 1.5 minutes on the other side. Using paper towels, absorb any excess liquid.
Place the fried onion upright in a shallow basin and use a circle cutter or an apple core to remove the central core. For each onion, repeat these instructions.
Serve with a dipping sauce created from scratch.
To prepare the dipping sauce.
Mix all of the sauce ingredients thoroughly. Keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.
NOTES:
This recipe calls for a deep fryer so that the entire onion may be dipped into the frying oil.
Peanut oil makes the bloomin’ onions crispier, although olive oil or vegetable oil can also be used.
If you find that cutting the blooming onion is too time-consuming or that it comes apart while being sliced, consider cutting it into petals, strings, or even onion rings.