Fried Onion Blossom

I believe this is also called the "awesome blossom" in some strip mall steakhouses across the country.  If you are a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you know that Spike, a terrifying centuries-old vampire, loves to snack on bloomin' onions, in between murders, of course. Regardless of that bit of pop trivia, this is fried, salty, and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 large onion

4 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp flour

1 cup panko crumbs

3 cups vegetable oil

ice water

boiling water

Instructions:

Select a well-rounded onion. Peel outer skin off. Leave root intact and cut off any hanging pieces. Using a small, sharp knife, divide onion into four sections by making 2 cuts crosswise, beginning at the top and cutting toward root, stopping about 1/2" away. Cut each section twice.

Place the onion in a bowl with enough boiling water to cover it and leave for 5 minutes. The sections, or petals, will begin to open. Remove the onion from the water and immerse into ice water, which will further the opening. Drain well by turning upside down on paper towels. Put flour into a plastic bag, add the onion and shake gently to coat with flour. Roll floured onion in beaten egg to cover.

Put panko crumbs into a plastic bag, add the onion, and shake gently to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour before deep frying in oil until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. The cooked onion can be kept for a time in a warm oven.

Tips - This was actually pretty simple to do.  Make sure to get the onion completely covered in flour and panko before chilling, it helps it adhere.  Also, be careful when lowering into the hot oil (I used a spatula).  Since the onion is cold, it definitely will splatter.  Enjoy!