Supplies Needed for Making Roasted Onion Flowers
You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make an onion flower with a few kitchen items. The following list explains which supplies you need to get started on cutting and roasting your onion flower:
- Plate or cutting board
- Paring knife
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Carving an Onion Flower
Whether you have a yellow onion or a red onion, you use the same method for cutting the onion. You can either roast your onion flower with an oil and vinegar dressing or make a batter-fried blooming onion. Here are the steps for carving your onion flower:
- Slice off one-half inch of the onion top with your paring knife.
- Slice off just enough of the onion bottom so it will stand without tipping over.
- Peel off the dry, papery skin from around the onion bulb.
- Make a cut down the center of the onion starting at the top and moving down to within one-half inch from the bottom of the onion.
- Turn the onion and cut down the other side in the same way, so you have four equal pieces.
- Slice the four quarters evenly down the center to within on-half inch of the bottom, giving you eight even onion segments. You can leave the onion like this, or you can slice the eight segments again to give you 16 segments.
Roasting Onion Flowers
After cutting your onion, make an olive oil and balsamic dressing to pour over your onion before roasting. Use the following ingredients and method for making your dressing:
- Place the sliced onion in a saucer or bowl.
- Combine one tablespoon of olive oil with one tablespoon of vinegar and blend well.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the onion, according to your own tastes.
Other flavorful options for your onion flower are herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and basil. If you prefer, you can make a garlic, butter sauce to pour over your onion flower instead of olive oil and vinegar.
After pouring the sauce over it, place the onion in a baking pan coated with oil. If you’re roasting more than one onion, allow enough space between the onions for expansion as they roast. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast at 425°F (220°C). Check your onions after 25 minutes. They should have opened into a flower that looks similar to a chrysanthemum. Leave the foil off the pan and bake the onions for another 10 minutes.
Making a Batter-Fried Blooming Onion
Batter-Fried Blooming Onions were made famous by many restaurants and steak houses as a delicious appetizer. They not only present well, but they tastes great. If you’re a fan of fried onion rings, you’ll love bloomin’ onions.
To make a blooming onion, you cut it using the same procedure as the onion flower. After cutting the onion flower, prepare the batter for frying your onion. You’ll need the following ingredients to make the batter for your onion:
- One-half cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- One-half teaspoon salt
- Mix the flour and salt together.
- Blend the milk and egg together.
- Place the onion flower on a plate and sprinkle it with flour. Gently pull the onion segments apart, so you can get the flour in between the pieces.
- Dip the onion in the egg and milk mixture.
- Sprinkle the onion with flour again.
- Using a slotted spoon or frying basket, dip the floured onion into hot oil.
- Fry for about three minutes on each side or until golden brown.
For extra flavor, you can add any spices you want to the flour mixture. Once your onion is done frying, dip the sections in your favorite dipping sauce or make sauce out of a creamy salad dressing mixed with horseradish.
