Flaming onion volcano
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- This article is about a type of food preparation, for the WWI German anti-aircraft weapon, see flaming onion.
The flaming onion volcano is a type of "food performance" demonstrated by chefs at some teppanyaki restaurants. It consists of a number of slices of onion stacked to look like Mount Fuji, which are set on fire and then doused in liquid that bubbles up like lava.
In the traditional preparation, an onion is sliced into layers, and one layer from the top or bottom of the stack is separated out. This stack is then separated into individual "rings". The largest, outermost, ring is used as the base, with its wider side down. The smaller rings are then stacked on top, forming an open cone. The rings can be stacked because they are wider on the bottom than the top.
After constructing the cone, oil is poured into the center through the open top, then diluted ethyl alcohol (cooking fluid), and then the mixture is set on fire. The alcohol burns off in a few seconds, leaving a steam of unburned alcohol streaming out of the top like a smoking volcano.[1] For an added touch, teriyaki sauce can be poured in after the flames die down, and the oil, heated by the grill, will cause it to boil out out of the top like lava.
Like any flaming dish, the onion volcano should only be attempted in situations where open flame is not a safety hazard. Burns from the hot liquid are not unknown.
