Onion Blooms
They’re called many things—onion loaves, awesome blossoms, Texas tumbleweeds—and I crave them all the time. They’re gorgeous, dramatic, positively perfect, but not at all difficult to make. The trick is to add club soda to the batter. It makes the crust light, fluffy, and irresistibly crunchy—just the right contrast to my zesty dipping sauce.
They’re called many things—onion loaves, awesome blossoms, Texas tumbleweeds—and I crave them all the time. They’re gorgeous, dramatic, positively perfect, but not at all difficult to make. The trick is to add club soda to the batter. It makes the crust light, fluffy, and irresistibly crunchy—just the right contrast to my zesty dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, Wesson®
3 cups all-purpose flour, Pillsbury®
2 packets (1 ounce each) dry ranch salad dressing mix, Hidden Valley®
4 large Vidalia onions
2 boxes tempura (8 ounces each) batter mix, McCormick® Golden Dipt®
2 cups club soda, chilled, Schweppes®
Directions
Fill fryer with vegetable oil to its maximum level*. Preheat oil to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour and ranch dressing mix in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
Cut about 1/2 inch off the onion tops and peel them. Cut 12 vertical slices to just above the bottom of onion. Do not cut all the way through the onion. Remove center of each onion and save for other recipes.
Mix tempura batter with chilled club soda. Batter should be slightly lumpy. Cover each onion in seasoned flour, shaking to remove excess flour. Dip into tempura batter, spreading “petals” to coat onion evenly with batter.
Carefully place 1 onion into fryer. Fry about 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining onions. Serve hot with Spicy Mayo Dip.
NOTE: If you don’t have a fryer, you can use a large stockpot. Select a pot that’s twice as big as the onion and clip a deep-fat-frying thermometer to the side to monitor the temperature. Pour in enough canola oil to completely cover the onion. Never leave the pot unattended because the oil can catch on fire.
