Put the Old Bay to work

I don't own a deep fryer. And the thought of frying foods in pots on my stovetop makes me nervous. So I adapted the concept of a blooming onion by creating a baked version. Give it a shot when friends come over to watch a game. Or just eat one. By yourself. (It's that good.)

the damages

chef's knife

cutting board

2 cereal bowls

fork

foil-lined baking dish

large spatula

the ingredients

1 large sweet onion

2 egg whites

Panko

Old Bay

salt

olive oil spray

the preparation

Preheat your oven to 350. Cut off the top and bottom of the onion, keeping close to the root end. Remove and discard the papery skin and first layer (which tends to dehydrate while it waits for you to buy it, and therefore gets tough). 

Set the onion root-side-down on the cutting board and slice longitudinally about 3/4 of the way through the onion. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat. Cut each quarter section again into 1/2s until you have made a total of 6 cuts and 12 wedge-shaped sections. 

Use your fingertips to carefully separate the layers of each wedge, making sure the onion remains intact at the root end. I found it's easiest to work towards yourself; imagine your fingers flipping through a file. Place the onion upright on the foil-lined baking dish.

Combine the Panko, Old Bay, and salt in one cereal bowl. Crack the egg whites into the other cereal bowl and use the fork to beat lightly. Pour the egg whites over the onion and then sprinkle on Panko, making certain both components seep between each layer of the onion. 

Spritz the top of the onion with olive oil and place in the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes. While that's cooking, to make a dipping sauce, combine 1/3 cup sour cream with 2 tablespoons of Frank's Red Hot sauce and a dash of salt. When the timer goes off, check the doneness of the onion by poking a slice with a fork. It should feel soft and appear translucent while the Panko is crispy. Use the spatula to carefully remove the onion and transfer to a serving plate.

SERVES 4 avid Packer fans

tips and techniques

to obtain an egg white, crack the egg lightly on the counter and, over a bowl, use your fingertips to separate along the equator. pour the contents of the egg back and forth between the two egg shell halves, causing the white to pour into the bowl and the yolk to remain in the shell. discard the shell and yolk.

interested in controlling the quality of your ingredients? try an olive oil atomizer rather than store-bought sprays.