I’ve worked for Outback for years, the onion blossom is breaded, not beaten. We skip the beer, flour the onion, soak it in a milk bath, flour it again.
Let’s face it: Nobody goes to the Outback Steakhouse for health food. Yet the chain still manages to shock us with creations like its scandalous new Bloomin’ 3-Point onion.
A blend of the restaurant’s original Bloomin’ Onion (a fried onion), Australian cheese fries and a centre-cut sirloin steak, the name is both a play on the number of dishes packed into one, and the term basketball.
Sometimes you want to cook something quick and easy and above all delicious.
Yesterday, I didn’t know what to cook for lunch and I invented this “Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion” which turned out to be a success!
Batter
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
24 ounces beer
4 vidalia onions (I use walla wallas here in Calgary)
Seasoned flour
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Creamy Chili sauce
1 pint mayonnaise
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup tomato chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Outback Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons creamed horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 dash black pepper
1 dash cayenne
Directions:
Step 1
1. for the seasoned flour-combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and cayenne-mix well.
2. For the Dipping sauce – Blend everything together well and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
3. For the batter -Mix cornstarch, flour and seasonings until well blended.
4. Add beer and mix well.
5. Cut about 3/4 inch off top of onion and peel.
6. Cut into onion 12-16 vertical wedges but do not cut through bottom root end.
7. Remove about 1 inch of petals from center of onion (You can place the cut onions in cold water for a few hours to help “open” them up — just make sure that you drain them well).
8. Dip in seasoned flour and gently shake to remove excess.
9. Separate petals to coat thoroughly with batter.
10. Gently place in a fryer basket and deep fry at 375-400 for 1 1/2 minutes.
11. Turn over and fry 1 1/2 minutes more or until golden brown.
12. Drain on paper towels