Happy Hour Onion Petals
Description
There are two secrets as to why your guests will beg you for this onion petals recipe: (1) the power-packed blend of seasonings and (2) the burst of flavor is sent soaring off the charts when matched with a Kölsch, Cream Ale, or Bock. Serving tip: Make up a batch of Cabbage Slaw, spread the slaw on a platter, and serve the petals on top for a great presentation you can eat.
Pair with: Kölsch, Cream Ale, Bock
Ingredients
Egg replacer equal to 1 egg
1 cup soy or almond milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 medium onion
Vegetable or canola oil, for deep frying
Directions
Combine the egg replacer and milk in a large bowl, and set aside.
Combine the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, thyme, oregano, and cumin in a medium-size bowl, and set aside.
To prepare the onion, cut 3/4 to 1 inch off the top and bottom of the onion and remove the skin. Cut the onion in half lengthwise, and cut each half, lengthwise, into 4 equal sections. Dip the onion petals in the milk mixture and then in the flour mixture, coating completely. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes to help the coating adhere.
Heat the vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep fryer or electric skillet. (Or heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by frying a drop of batter. If it quickly sizzles and floats, the oil is ready.)
Fry the onion petals in oil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the petals from the oil using a slotted spoon, and drain them on paper towels. Yields 2 servings.
Special notes
Egg replacer
While many of my friends choose to use eggs in the recipes in The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour, many other people either avoid or can’t have eggs in their diet. I’ve catered to both groups by offering options for egg replacements in all recipes in this book. Today, there are many options for removing eggs from dishes and replacing them with plant-based egg substitutions or replacers, which basically consist of a natural powder combination of starches and leavening ingredients.
While there are various plant-based egg replacers available, one go-to source is Ener-G brand’s Egg Replacer (Ener-G.com).
For this particular egg replacer, the conversion is: 1 egg = 1-1/2 teaspoons dry Egg Replacer plus 2 tablespoons water. Also, see Flaxseed below.
A few recipes call specifically for an egg replacer for egg yolks. One go-to, plant-based brand is The Vegg (TheVegg.com).
For this particular egg yolk replacer, the conversion is: 2 to 3 egg yolks = 1 teaspoon Vegg blended with 1/4 cup water.
Flaxseed
To use flaxseed to replace eggs, for each egg, process or blend 3 tablespoons filtered or bottled water with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed until the mixture is smooth and thick. Let the mixture rest for a minute or two before adding it to your recipe.
Recipe courtesy of John Schlimm from ‘The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour’.
