Blooming onion

A blooming onion

A blooming onion, onion blossom, or onion 'mum is a food dish consisting of one large fried vidalia onion which is cut to resemble a flower. It is served as an appetizer at some restaurants.

Preparation

The kitchen preparation for this onion dish needs to be done a day in advance. The top part of the onion bulb is cut off, and the outer skin is peeled off. The root section is left intact, but the loose hanging pieces are trimmed. The onion is then placed in a special cutting device that creates the cuts and shape .

The onion is then soaked in ice water, cut side down, for up to a day to reduce the sharp flavor of the onion and allow full 'bloom' or spread of the onion sections. The onion is then allowed to dry briefly, and is dipped in an egg wash before being coated in a seasoned flour mixture. After it is cooked, the core piece, including the root, is removed, as this section tends to be undercooked. This section is sometimes then garnished with dipping sauce in a cup.

In pop culture

• The blooming onion was a favorite food of Spike of the TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, used as a running joke.

• "Orlando Bloomin' Onion" rescues plane crash survivors in Robot chicken.
  

• In "The Office", Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) takes a Scranton, PA, City Councilman to Chili's, where they get an Awesome Blossom. This is an example of product placement.

• In the webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del, Tim Buckley depicts a Bloomin' Onion from Outback Steakhouse, in the 02/08/2008 comic.

Nutrition

The egg wash and deep frying preparation process of the Blooming Onion makes it massively caloric and high in trans fats. A single Blooming Onion with dressing has been reported as containing 2210 calories and 134 grams of fat. A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest had a slightly lower fat content of 116 grams, including 44 grams of transfat.

External links

• Recipe

See also

• French fries
• Onion rings