Blooming Onion Petals with Spicy Dipping Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

All the crunch and creamy-spicy dip of the steakhouse showstopper, without the surgical carving. Sweet onions are cut into wedges and pulled apart into petals, soaked in seasoned buttermilk, dredged in a paprika-cayenne flour, and fried in small batches until shatteringly crisp. Because the petals are separate, the oil actually reaches every surface — no raw doughy center, no burnt tips — and the whole thing is done in one pot in about 20 minutes of frying.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet onions (Vidalia or Walla Walla), about 1 lb each
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp prepared horseradish, drained
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 quarts neutral frying oil (peanut, canola, or vegetable)
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, for finishing
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the sauce first so the flavors have time to come together: whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 5 days.
2. Trim the root and stem ends off each onion and peel. Stand an onion on a flat end and cut it in half from top to bottom, then cut each half into 4 wedges, for 8 wedges per onion. Pull the wedges apart into individual petals, discarding the papery inner membranes and any pieces smaller than your thumbnail. You should have about 8 packed cups of petals.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, hot sauce, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Add the onion petals, press them down to submerge, and let soak at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 4 hours). The soak softens the onion's bite and glues the coating on.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, 2 tsp salt, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, and cumin in a wide shallow dish or a large paper bag. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan next to it.
5. Working with a handful of petals at a time, lift them from the buttermilk letting excess drip off, drop them into the seasoned flour, and toss until every surface is chalky and coated. Shake off the excess and spread on the wire rack in a single layer. For extra-craggy petals, dip the floured pieces back into the buttermilk and into the flour a second time. Let the coated petals rest 10 minutes so the crust hydrates and sets.
6. Pour the oil into a heavy 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven to a depth of 2 to 2 1/2 inches — never more than halfway up the pot. Clip on a deep-fry or instant-read thermometer and heat over medium-high to 365°F (185°C). Set a clean wire rack over a sheet pan for draining.
7. Fry in batches of about 1 packed cup of petals, adding them one at a time so they don't clump. The oil will drop to roughly 340°F; adjust the burner to hold it between 340°F and 360°F. Fry 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes, stirring gently once with a spider, until deep golden brown and the bubbling slows noticeably.
8. Lift the petals out with a spider, drain on the wire rack, and season immediately with flaky salt while they're glistening. Let the oil climb back to 365°F before the next batch — crowding or cool oil is the difference between crisp and greasy. Repeat with remaining petals; you'll have 5 to 6 batches.
9. Pile the petals in a shallow bowl or on a platter, scatter with parsley if using, and set the chilled spicy sauce in the middle. Serve right away, while the crust still crackles.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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