Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1                    sweet onion; Texas -- Vidalia
                        Walla Walla or Maui
                        water
   1                    egg -- beaten
   2      tablespoons   flour
   1      cup           cracker crumbs
                        OR coating mix
                        oil -- for deep frying
                        dip-
     1/2  cup           mayonnaise
     1/2  cup           sour cream
     1/2  cup           thousand island dressing
   2      tablespoons   horseradish -- grated

Preparation:

Select a well-rounded onion. Peel outer skin off. Leave root intact; cut off any hanging roots. Using small, sharp knife, divide onion into four sections by making 2 cuts crosswise, beginning at the top and cutting toward root, stopping about 1/2 inch away. Cut each section twice. Place onion in bowl of enough boiling water to cover it and leave for 5 minutes. The sections, or "petals" will begin to open. Remove onion from hot water and immerse into ice water, to help the opening. Drain well by turning upside down on paper towel. Put flour into paper bag, add onion and shake gently to coat with flour. Roll floured onion in beaten egg to cover. Put cracker crumbs or coating mix in paper bag, add onion and shake gently to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour before deep frying in oil to golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Cooked onion may be kept for a time in warm oven. The "Outback Steakhouse" serves this with a delicious hot-hot sauce to dunk' in. They also add hot spices to the flour and/or coating mix