bloomin’ onion

Directions

• Remove the papery skin from the onion. Slice off the top of the onion, to create a flat surface, approximately ¼“ down from the stem base. Leave the root base intact, only trimming off any of the dry roots. Then turn the onion over onto a cutting board.
• Using a sharp knife, cutting straight down, carefully cut the onion into quarters without piercing the root. The root base will become the core to hold the “bloom” intact. Next, carefully cut each of those sections in half, giving you 8 sections. Finally, carefully cut those 8 sections in half creating 16 sections. Gently turn the onion over and place it on a flat dinner plate, letting the petals open. You can use your fingers to fan them out if gravity doesn’t take care of that for you.
• In a small bowl, mix up the flour and salt until combined. Using your fingers, sprinkle the flour and salt mixture over the onion fanning out the petals to ensure an even coating. Carefully shake off any excess flour and place the onion in a deep bowl, root side down. Discard any remaining flour on the plate and in the small bowl. Add the panko, trifecta blend, chives and paprika to this small bowl and toss to coat, then set aside.
• Whisk the eggs, almond milk and lemon juice in a mug/cup till well incorporated. Pour the egg mixture over the onion into the deep bowl. Using a large spoon (and your fingers) coat the onion with the egg mixture opening up the petals to ensure even coating. Do this until you feel like you’ve got the petals evenly coated. Using a large spatula, carefully remove the onion from the deep bowl, allowing any excess egg to drip off and then place the onion on the plate.
• Sprinkle the panko coating over the onion, fanning out the petals again to make sure you get a good coating. Using up extra that has fallen onto the plate, repeating the coating process until petals are lightly coated.
• Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil (or if your basket is non-stick you may not need to) and using the same large spatula, carefully move the coated onion to the basket. Spray the onion generously with more avocado oil. Air Fry at 385°F for 10-12 minutes or until tips are golden brown. Alternatively you can bake in a 400°F oven on a parchment lined baking sheet for around 20-22 minutes.
• While the onion bakes, mix together the mayonnaise and ketchup in a small bowl, stirring well to combine. Once the onion is done (pierce with a sharp knife point to check) and those tips have a nice golden color, carefully remove the onion to a serving platter, and sprinkle with additional paprika if desired and serve with fry sauce. Best enjoyed immediately!