Blooming Onion

Ingredients

• 11 large sweet onion (Vidalia or similar)
• 21½ cups flour
• 31 tsp paprika
• 41 tsp garlic powder
• 5½ tsp cayenne
• 6½ tsp black pepper
• 71 cup buttermilk
• 82 eggs
• 9Oil for deep frying
• 10For the sauce: ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp horseradish, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp cayenne

Instructions

1. 1Cut off the top of the onion but leave the root intact. Place root-side down and make 12–16 downward cuts from the top, stopping 1cm from the root, to create 'petals.'
2. 2Soak in ice water for 1 hour to help petals open. Pat dry.
3. 3Mix buttermilk and eggs. Mix flour with all the spices.
4. 4Coat the onion all over in seasoned flour, then dip in the buttermilk-egg mixture, then coat in flour again.
5. 5Deep fry in a large pot at 190°C (375°F) for 3–4 minutes, submerging the onion. Drain well.
6. 6Make the dipping sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients. Serve the blooming onion immediately with the sauce in the centre.