Do you know the recipe for the blooming onion? The literal translation is blooming onion (or blossomed), but in Italian it is commonly called onion flower.
The original recipe is American, it was created in 1988 as an appetizer idea by a restaurant chain, and it is fried. That is: the whole onion, cut as I will later describe in the procedure, is floured and then dipped in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs, or cornmeal, so as to thoroughly cover each onion petal, then the onion is fried whole, deeply submerged in oil until it becomes golden and crispy, so it can be peeled with hands petal by petal and eaten by dipping each petal into a sauce (usually mayonnaise and ketchup). In short, a real treat.
My reluctance to deep fry at home has always prevented me from trying this recipe, although I have been tempted more than once, I confess! 😀 But at some point, I discovered that for some years now, there has been a whole line of versions of blooming onion in the air fryer (although still with the egg batter), the idea immediately intrigued me and I was actually thinking of trying it, sooner or later.
Until in this ‘sooner or later’ the Team Light and Tasty intervened 😄 who had the great idea of scheduling for today a recipe with an ingredient of choice among onion, leek, garlic, basically that whole family. And I couldn’t resist the temptation to finally try to make my personal version of blooming onion, but as light as possible.
So here is my light blooming onion! A gratinated onion flower, let’s say a second-degree relative of the original recipe 😄 but which we really liked.
Maybe because no matter how you make them, gratinated onions are always good, but especially because this blooming flower shape is truly a genius! It transforms a simple recipe like a gratinated onion into a scenographic recipe, surely to be replicated even on festive occasions like a Sunday lunch or in case of guests. And in addition, the quick cooking in the air fryer makes it a recipe to make on the fly when in a hurry, it’s therefore the classic versatile recipe as I like it!
It is beautiful to see and also… how good it is! 😋
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Other onion recipes you can find on this blog of mine: 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Air frying
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
👉 I used one yellow onion and one red onion to test the differences in yield between the two. For my personal taste, the red one performs better, remaining delicate even without soaking in water first, and it has a slightly shorter cooking time. In any case, you can use your preferred onion varieties.
- 2 large onions
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- lemon zest (to taste)
- 1 pinch pepper
- 3 tsps extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Air fryer
- Knife
- Air fryer paper
Steps
Peel the onions and cut off both ends.
Place the onions on the work surface on the root side
Make two cross cuts, being careful not to go through (leave wedges attached to the root).
Gently open the wedges slightly. Just enough to insert breadcrumbs between the layers.
Soak the yellow onion in cold water for at least 15 minutes. This is to disperse the excess sulfur compounds typical of onions and make the onion taste milder.
👉 I tried both with and without soaking, it’s a step that is very useful with yellow onions, which have a stronger flavor, but for me, it is not necessary for red onions.
Season the breadcrumbs with chopped parsley, pepper, lemon zest, and a teaspoon of oil.
Remove the onion from the water without drying it, or rinse it with a stream of running water in the case of the red onion.
Pour the breadcrumbs over the onions, trying to make it enter between the layers.
Place the onions in the air fryer basket, lined with a paper basket (suitable for air fryers).
☝ As you can see from the photo, if you want to optimize better, you could also fit one more onion in the 2.5-liter basket.
Add a drizzle of oil on top.
Start the air fryer initially at 392°F and cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, lower to 356°F and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
👉 The red onion cooks faster, 15 minutes are enough, but of course, the cooking time cannot be fixed as it also depends on other factors such as the size of the onions or the variety. It’s enough to open the basket to check the cooking and evaluate the final time.
At the end of cooking, the onions will appear as a flower:
Remove the onions with a spatula (or more simply with two spoons), being careful with the outer petals that tend to open.
Excellent hot, as only gratinated onions can be 😍 but we also tried them cooled, or better at room temperature, and they were equally delicious.
In any case, the aesthetic aspect is their strong point, for me, they are beautiful to present at the table!
Salt-Free Tips
Like all vegetables with a strong flavor, onions do not need salt to show off their goodness. Cooked this way in an air fryer, but also in the oven, they are delicious. Those who love spicy flavors can, if desired, enrich the breading with a pinch of curry, or you can intensify the lemon aroma by adding a grate of fresh ginger, which will also give a slight spicy note. 😋
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
■ Gradually reduce salt, the palate must gradually get used to it and must not notice the progressive reduction.
■ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
■ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
■ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
■ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
■ Use my salt-free vegetable granular and gomasio.
■ Prefer fresh foods.
■ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking that does not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
■ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
■ Sometimes allow yourself a cheat day. It lifts the mood and helps to persevere.
If you do not want, or cannot, give up salt:
■ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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Light and Tasty:
What will my colleagues from the Light and Tasty Team have decided to cook for this release dedicated to onions, garlic, leeks, and similar?
Carla Emilia: Shrimp and leek quiche
Cinzia: Chive blossom flavored vinegar
Claudia: Garlic in oil with parsley
Daniela: Farro pilaf with leeks, feta, and toasted pine nuts
Elena: Sweet and sour onions
Milena: Focaccia with fresh spring onions
