Awesome blossom onion bites with dipping sauce

Mix the sauce: sour cream, a little mayo, a big spoon of horseradish and a little ketchup; stir, taste, add a few shakes of cayenne and adjust. Refrigerate until needed.

Cut about an inch off the top of the onion, halve it through the root end and peel off the skin (and any tough layer beneath).

Slice straight down, then cut across at the same spacing to dice, stopping near the root; chop further if wanted.

Put 2 cups of diced onion in a mixing bowl, mix in the kosher salt and let sit about 15 minutes to draw out moisture.

Rinse the onions very thoroughly in a strainer under cold running water to remove the excess salt; drain a couple of minutes and transfer to a dry bowl.

Add a big pinch of salt, black pepper, a few shakes of cayenne, garlic powder, a little cornmeal, all-purpose flour and baking powder; stir.

Add the milk and stir to a very thick batter; add flour if thin or milk if much thicker. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat about a half inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high to about 350 degrees; drop in rounded tablespoon portions of batter with a scoop or two spoons.

Fry about three minutes, checking after 30 seconds with a spatula that they are not sticking, then flip with a spatula and fork.

Fry the other side about three minutes until browned and crispy at the edges; flip again for more colour, about six minutes total.

Drain on a paper towel-lined plate; keep finished batches in a warm oven while frying the rest.

Serve with the sauce garnished with another shake of cayenne.