Blooming Onion — XML source

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE recipe SYSTEM "../../dtd/recipe.dtd">
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="../../style/recipe.xsl" ?>
<!-- Restored from the surviving Blooming Onion source text in the original cookbook archive. -->
<recipe>
  <title>Blooming Onion</title>
  <cook></cook>
  <category>Appetizer</category>
  <description></description>
  <prep_time></prep_time>
  <illustration href="" />
  <ingredients>
    <item>1 egg</item>
    <item>1 cup milk</item>
    <item>1 cup all-purpose flour</item>
    <item>1 1/2 teaspoons salt</item>
    <item>1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper</item>
    <item>1 teaspoon paprika</item>
    <item>1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper</item>
    <item>1/3 teaspoon dried oregano</item>
    <item>1/8 teaspoon dried thyme</item>
    <item>1/8 teaspoon ground cumin</item>
    <item>1 large sweet onion</item>
    <item>Enough vegetable oil for frying</item>
  </ingredients>
  <directions>
    <step>To make the batter: In a medium bowl, beat egg and add milk. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, ground black pepper, oregano, thyme and cumin; mix.</step>
    <step>To prepare onion: Slice 1 inch off the top and bottom of the onion and remove the papery skin. Use a thin knife to cut a 1 inch diameter core out of the middle. Use a very sharp, large knife to slice the onion several times down the center to create petals. First slice through the center to about three-fourths of the way down. Turn the onion 90 degrees and slice again in an X across the first slice. Keep slicing the sections in half, very carefully, until the onion has been cut 16 times. Do not cut through the bottom of the onion.</step>
    <step>Spread the petals of the onion apart. To help keep them separate, you can plunge the onion into boiling water for 1 minute and then into cold water.</step>
    <step>Dip the onion into the milk mixture and then coat it liberally with the flour mixture. Separate the petals and sprinkle dry coating between them. Dip it back into the wet mixture and then into the dry coating again.</step>
    <step>Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Use enough oil to completely cover the onion when it fries. The original notes also mention an alternate method of 375°F–400°F for about 1 1/2 minutes, then turning for another 1 1/2 minutes.</step>
    <step>Fry the onion right side up for about 10 minutes or until brown. Remove it from the oil and drain on a rack or paper towels. Open the onion wider from the center so a small dish of dipping sauce can be placed in the center.</step>
  </directions>
  <yield></yield>
  <comment>Use with the Blooming Onion Dipping Sauce.</comment>
</recipe>