Texas Tumbleweed Fried Blooming Onion

This famous appetizer is great to
munch on during the big game.
The Vidalia onion should not be
substituted for anything else.
This beer batter is unbeatable.

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup beer
House Seasoning to taste
Peanut oil for deep frying
1 large Vidalia onion
Ice water

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Directions:
House Seasoning:
Mix ingredients together and store
in an airtight container up to 6 months.

Texas Tumbleweed:
In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder,
beer and House Seasoning together.
Cover loosely and let rest on counter
from 15 minutes to 3 hours.
To prepare onion, slice 3/4 to 1 inch off top of onion.
Peel off skin. Cut a thin flat base off the bottom,
but leave root intact. Slice onion in half,
then into quarters, then into eighths.
Continue until cut 16 times, producing very thin wedges.
Slicing onion in this way creates petals.
Do not cut all the way down to bottom.
This will keep the flower together.
Gently spread petals of onion apart.
Invert and soak onion in ice water to help separate petals.
Drain well. Meanwhile, preheat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
Dip onion in beer batter.
Separate petals and get batter between them.
Fry onion, right side up, in oil for 10 minutes
or until it turns golden brown.
With a spider or heavy slotted spoon, remove onion from fryer and let drain
on a sheet tray lined with paper towels.