Crispy Copycat Restaurant Appetizer (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ For the sauce
01 -
½ cup mayonnaise
02 -
¼ cup sour cream
03 -
2 tablespoons ketchup
04 -
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
05 -
1 clove garlic, minced
06 -
½ teaspoon kosher salt
07 -
¼ teaspoon black pepper
08 -
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
09 -
Pinch of cayenne pepper
→ For the petals
10 -
1 large sweet onion
11 -
2 cups all-purpose flour
12 -
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
13 -
½ teaspoon pepper
14 -
½ teaspoon garlic powder
15 -
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
16 -
½ teaspoon onion powder
17 -
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
18 -
1 cup buttermilk
19 -
1 large egg
20 -
Oil for frying
# Instructions:
01 -
In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, horseradish, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
02 -
Cut the root end off of the onion and peel. Cut the onion in half, then into quarters. Cut the quarters in half, set aside.
03 -
In a large bowl, add the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika, stir until combined. In another medium-sized bowl, add the buttermilk and egg and whisk together.
04 -
Separate out the onion petals and place them in a gallon-sized ziptop bag. To the bag, add 1⁄4 cup of the flour mixture. Seal and toss the onions in the flour until coated as best you can.
05 -
Take a handful of the onion petals at a time, gently shaking off the excess flour. Dip them into the buttermilk mixture, let any excess liquid drip off. Next, add the onion petals directly to the bowl with the flour mixture and coat them well, again shaking off any excess flour. Place the onion petals onto a parchment-lined sheet tray while continuing to coat the rest of the remaining onion petals.
06 -
Heat your deep fryer or a large skillet that has deep sides with about 2-inches of oil to 350°F. Once hot, fry the onion petals for 3-4 minutes until golden brown, you will most likely need to do this in batches to not overcrowd the pan.
07 -
Place the fried onion petals onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Then, place them on a wire rack over a sheet tray (to catch any excess oil) while you fry the remaining petals, so they don't become soggy. Once all of the onion petals are done frying, remove the sauce from the refrigerator, serve and enjoy!
# Notes:
01 -
Make sure whatever you're frying the onions in has high walls on it to help keep the oil splatter down.
02 -
Use fresh onions when possible, they'll have the best flavor.
03 -
The longer these onion pieces sit, the more soggy they'll become. So enjoy them as soon as possible.
04 -
Use a sweet onion variety if you have them, other onion varieties can be used in a pinch.
05 -
Make the sauce a day ahead of time if you can, it's even more flavorful then!
06 -
These petals aren't spicy. If you like spice, try adding more cayenne to your breading and to the homemade sauce mixture.