Fried Onion Mums Or Pom Poms

* Exported from MasterCook *

FRIED ONION MUMS OR POM POMS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizers

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
5 Onion, small to med
4 c Flour
5 ts Baking powder
2 tb Paprika
1 t Garlic powder
2 ts Greek seasoning
1 t Salt -- or to taste
Pepper, black -- to taste
3 Egg
1 1/2 c Milk
Oil -- for deep frying

Cut off and discard the top half-inch of the
onions. Peel them but do not cut off the root end.
Place each onion, root end up, on a cutting board.
With a sharp, pointed knife, make vertical cuts all
around the onion about a quarter inch apart.

Start the cut a quarter-inch from the root for
small onions or a half-inch from the root for very
large ones. Make sure the knife goes into the center
of the onion.

Place all the onions in a large bowl of cold
water, add ice cubes, cover and refrigerate several
hours or overnight. The onions will open up like
mums. Drain upside-down when ready to proceed. In a
large bowl, mix together thoroughly the flour, baking
powder and spices. In another bowl, beat together the
eggs and milk.

Dip the onions one by one into the egg mixture,
opening the petals with your fingers; let the excess
drip off, and place in flour.
Work the flour mixture into the center gently with
fingertips. Shake off excess flour and repeat egg dip
and flouring, shaking off the excess thoroughly.

Half-fill a deep fryer or large, deep, heavy pot
with oil. (The author of this recipe used the bottom
of her pressure cooker -- a small electric fryer will
NOT do.)

Heat the oil to 360F or until a small piece of dry
bread turns deep gold in 15 seconds. Fry the onions
without crowding them -- one at a time for large ones
~- keeping them submerged with a spatula or by placing
the frying basket on top of them. Plunge them in root
end up and turn them over once.

To serve at once, fry large onions for about six
or seven minutes, small ones for five minutes, or
until deep gold. Drain upside-down on paper towels;
then invert on a serving plate. Keep warm in a low
oven while frying the others. Remove the centers of
large onions with a very sharp knife. Small onions
may be left whole or the center can be scooped out
with a melon-ball cutter. If serving the next day,
fry the onions until pale gold; do not fry completely.
Let cool. When ready to serve, reheat the oil to 380F
and fry the onions just long enough to heat and brown,
about 15 seconds. Drain and serve. To get the same
taste without making mums, simply cut onions ver-
tically to make "petals" or crosswise and separate
into rings. This can be done ahead and the petals or
rings kept in ice water. Egg, flour and fry as above.



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -