Mini Onion Blossoms
In 1985 the first blooming onion hit the fryolator at Russell’s Marina Grill in New Orleans, a creation of chef Jeff Glowski. Glowski’s friend and colleague, Tim Gannon, brought the fried onion to a neighboring restaurant in NOLA. And then, in 1988, take a wild guess what popular restaurant chain Tim Gannon cofounded.
The blooming onion is the signature dish of Outback Steakhouse and for good reason: It’s crispy, greasy, savory, perfectly seasoned, and impossible to stop eating. It’s also a challenge to make at home unless you have impeccable knife skills and endless patience. For the same great flavor and deep-fried satisfaction with far less effort, I love shrinking the onion down to a more manageable size for the home cook. You might say this version has no rules—it’s just right.
Cipolline onions are ideal here for their natural sweetness, broad size, and tender bite. A dip through a sour-cream-based batter before getting dredged in a generously seasoned coating sets you up for tons of flavor. A quick deep-fry is all it takes for a platter of perfect, crunchy bites. And while there are no wrong answers when it comes to a dipping sauce (ranch, honey mustard, and BBQ are all great options), there is one answer that is the most correct: blossom sauce—a mix of mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, and cayenne.
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What you’ll need
Deep Fry / Candy Thermometer
$32 $24 At Amazon
Baking Sheet and Wire Rack Combo
$33 At Amazon
Chopsticks
$10 $8 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes
Yield
Makes 16
Ingredients
Onions
Blossom Sauce and assembly
Special equipment
Preparation
Onions
Step 1
Place an onion from 16 cipolline onions (about 1½ lb.), ends trimmed, peeled, root side down, on a cutting board and arrange chopsticks along 2 opposing sides. Using a long, thin knife, make 2 perpendicular cuts in onion, forming an X and stopping at chopsticks (you don’t want to cut all the way through). Rotate onion a quarter turn and make 2 more perpendicular cuts, cutting onion into eighths and stopping at chopsticks. Lay flat side of knife over onion and gently press down with the heel of your hand just to open up onion slightly (make sure it remains intact). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat process with remaining onions.
Step 2
Whisk together 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, 3 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, and 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika in a medium bowl. Whisk 1¼ cups sour cream and ⅓ cup whole milk in a second medium bowl until smooth.
Step 3
Pour vegetable oil into a medium Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan to come 3" up sides; fit with thermometer. Heat over medium until thermometer registers 350°.
Step 4
While oil is heating up, working one at a time, gently open up onions further with your hands, separating some of the petals slightly but still making sure to keep onions intact. Dip onions in sour cream mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl, then dredge in flour mixture, sprinkling flour over top to coat thoroughly inside and out. Shake off excess and return to baking sheet.
Step 5
Working in batches of 5 or so, carefully lower onions into oil with a spider or slotted spoon and fry, turning halfway through, until golden brown and very crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer, root side up, to a wire rack set over paper towels; immediately sprinkle with salt.
Blossom Sauce and assembly
Step 6
Whisk together ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. ketchup, 2 Tbsp. sour cream, 1 tsp. prepared horseradish, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Taste sauce and season with salt if needed (makes about ½ cup).
Step 7
Arrange onions on a platter. Serve with sauce alongside for dipping.
Do ahead: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Recipe notes
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Honey, I Shrunk the Bloomin’ Onion
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