GATHER JOURNAL

Photograph by Nicholas Cope Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Prop Styling by Linda Heiss


    

Bloomin’ Anemone Onions

Amuse-Bouche from Issue 8 – Winter 2016 – Origin

The anemones that reside along the ocean’s dusky bottom are flashier and, to their prey, more ominous (those pretty tentacles fire a paralyzing neurotoxin), than their terrestrial counterparts—the femmes fatale of the sea. All efforts to avoid our anemone-like bites of cipollini onions with a seaweed ranch dip will prove hopeless.

serves 4



  • 12 to 16 cipollini onions
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 to 1½ qt vegetable oil for frying

Seaweed Dip
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic and smashed to a paste
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • Wasabi Fumi Furikake (rice seasoning) to serve

  • 1

    Blanch onions in boiling water, 1 minute, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Trim off tops and carefully peel. Lightly trim root end without cutting into onion. With root side down, carefully cut onions (without cutting all the way through) in half, then quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Gently loosen layers.
  • 2

    Beat together milk and eggs and add the onions. In another bowl, stir together flour, spices, and ½ tsp salt. Lift onions out of milk mixture letting excess drip off then lightly dredge each in seasoned flour shaking off excess.
  • 3

    Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of oil and bring to 350°F on a deep fat thermometer. Working in batches, fry onions cut sides down, 4 minutes. Turn over and fry until onions are crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Drain briefly cut sides down on paper towels. Serve onions with a seaweed dip for plunging.

     

    Seaweed Dip: Whisk together dip ingredients (except Furikake) along with ½ tsp salt. Sprinkle with Furikake before serving.