by The Webmaster
Serves: 2 people. Preparation time: 40 minutes.
Onion: 
Dip:
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Peel the Onions of their brown skin. Cut off the top and bottom of each Onion, keeping the root intact. Insert 2 wooden skewers, pushed through the Onion about 20% (½ inch) from the edge. [See photos] Now carefully make ¼ inch wide uniform cuts to form “petals,” using the inserted skewers as a stop for the knife blade, to avoid cutting all the way through. Remove the skewers. Repeat with the second Onion. The result is a fan shape.
Using a large strainer spoon, submerge each Onion into boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave both Onions in the ice water for 15 minutes while preparing the coatings.
Make 4 stations:
• #1: Place a cup of Flour on a large dish.
• #2: In a bowl, scramble the 2 Eggs and add Salt and Pepper to taste.
• #3: Combine the Breadcrumbs, Grated Cheese, Basil, Paprika and Salt and Pepper in a bowl, mix well and transfer it to a deep dish.
• #4: Prepare a baking sheet with Parchment Paper for a liner.
Place the Onion on the #1 Flour plate. Coat the Onion surfaces (inside and out) with the Flour using a spoon. Use a knife, or the skewer, to carefully separate the petals to allow the Flour to reach the center of the Onion. When fully coated, transfer the Onion to the #2 Egg Wash bowl. Coat the surfaces (inside and out) with Egg. Then place the washed Onion on the #3 Breadcrumb plate and coat the Onion surfaces (inside and out) with the Breadcrumb mixture. Finally move the coated Onion to the #4 lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second Onion. Bake them for 20 minutes while making the Dip.
De-pit and de-skin a fresh Avocado. Cut the flesh into small pieces and mash well with a sturdy fork. Add the Lemon Juice, Yogurt, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Parsley and some Salt and Pepper and mix well until uniform. Serve some Dip to each guest with their hot "Onion Bloom".
”Bloomin' Onion®” - It's a popular appetizer at Outback Steakhouse. They use "Colossal Onions" about 4¼ inches in diameter and weigh over 1 pound each. The Onion is sliced with a large Apple Cutter device to make a flower, then breaded and deep fried. They are grown, for them, in Idaho, Oregon, Texas and California. It was created by Outback's founder, Tim Gannon in 1988. Tim was an American, not an Aussie. The chain sells about 8 million of them each year. "Bloomin' Onion" is a trademark of Bloomin' Brands of Tampa. Our Onion Bloom is a healthier, baked version.
