Blooming Onion

Doneness

The petals have fanned fully open and the coating is an even, deep golden-brown all the way into the centre, crisp to the touch; pull one petal loose and the onion underneath is soft and translucent. Pale, powdery white patches mean dry, un-oiled flour — spray those spots and give it a few more minutes.

Oil & seasoning

Essential and generous. Spray the whole bloom thoroughly before cooking and again at the halfway mark, getting oil down between the petals — any dry flour left un-sprayed bakes pale and powdery instead of crisping.

Season with: Classic Outback-style (the benchmark): a seasoned-flour dredge of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano and cumin, served with the signature bloom sauce — mayo, ketchup, horseradish, paprika and a pinch of cayenne., Cajun / blackened: heavy paprika, cayenne, thyme and garlic in the flour for a spicy, dark crust., Ranch-Parmesan: dry ranch seasoning and grated Parmesan worked into the breadcrumb layer for a tangy, cheesy petal., Garlic-herb: garlic powder, dried parsley, dill and onion powder for a milder, savoury bloom..

Watch out for

• !Cut from the top down toward the root but never through it — leave the root core intact so the onion holds together and the wedges fan out into petals instead of falling apart.
• !Soak the cut onion in ice water 15–20 minutes to help the petals spread, then pat it completely dry before dredging — wet petals won't hold the flour-egg-flour coating.
• !Re-spray any dry, white flour spots at the halfway mark; un-oiled flour stays powdery and pale rather than turning golden and crisp.
• !Use a genuinely large onion — small onions don't have enough layers to fan into proper petals, and the centre won't cook through evenly.