Sausage-stuffed onions
Stuffed veg is always a winner, the savoury filling seeping into its slow‑cooked casing to create melting parcels of myriad flavours. Sausage and onion are a particularly combo in terms of texture and taste.
Serves 4
4 medium red onions (about 225g each), peeled, stem-ends trimmed, root-ends trimmed but intact
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
300ml water
1 head garlic, outer layers removed to expose the cloves
A small handful of thyme sprigs, plus 1 tsp leaves
125g sausage meat
225ml double cream
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Rub the onions with a little olive oil (about 2 tbsp), then sprinkle with salt. Put the onions in a medium casserole or other ovenproof pot with a lid. Place the garlic head in the middle of the onions and drizzle with oil. Scatter the thyme sprigs over the onions, then add 75ml of the water to the pot. Cover and roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned and soft enough so a knife slips easily into their centres. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
2 Carefully lift the onions on to a cutting board, leaving the liquid in the pot. Scoop out a few layers from inside each onion and stuff them with 2 tbsp of sausage meat. Add the scooped-out onion to the casserole. (When you add the cream and water in the next step, the liquid should come a little less than halfway up the sides of the stuffed onions.)
3 Squeeze the soft flesh of the garlic cloves into the casserole, and add the thyme leaves, cream, the remaining 225ml water and 1 tsp salt. Bring the mixture to a full boil, add the stuffed onions, sausage-side up, and baste them with the liquid for a minute or so.
4 Return the casserole to the oven for about 40 minutes, uncovered until the sauce is thick, but not gloopy. Baste the onions every 10 minutes or so, until cooked. Taste the sauce and add a little more salt, if you’d like. Bring the pan to the table, spoon a little of the sauce over the top of each onion, and dig in.
April Bloomfield, A Girl and Her Pig (Canongate)
Chicken salad with onion pickle
A Vietnamese dish full of vibrant, punchy flavours that are lifted and brightened by the onion pickle.
Serves 2–3
3 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
1 chicken stock cube
200g basmati rice
1 knob of butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
10 hot mint sprigs (or Thai sweet basil), chopped
A small handful of coriander, stalk on, chopped
A pinch of black pepper
For the onion pickle
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
A pinch of sea salt
A pinch of black pepper
For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
2cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 First, make the pickle. Reserve one fifth of the onion, then combine the rest with the other ingredients and leave for at least 1 hour.
2 Next prepare the salad. Put 1.2 litres cold water and the chicken thighs in a saucepan over a medium heat and cover. Bring to the boil, then skim the froth from the surface. Add the stock and cook for 25–30 minutes (20 minutes into cooking, extract some stock – see step 3).
3 Wash and drain the rice. Finely chop the reserved onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat and fry the onion and garlic. Add the rice, then stir until coated. After the chicken has been poaching for 20 minutes, decant 350ml of the stock and add it to the rice with a pinch of salt. Cover, then raise the heat to medium; this technique will cook the rice beautifully by steaming it. When the liquid comes to the boil, turn down the heat to low and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4 Next mix all the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl with 2 tbsp of the poaching stock.
5 When the chicken has finished poaching, remove it from the pan and let it rest for 10 minutes while the rice is still cooking. Reserve the leftover stock for another time – allow it to cool completely, then refrigerate or freeze it.
6 Shred the chicken from the bones. Discard the skin. Mix the meat with the onion pickle (discarding the juices), mint, coriander and pepper. Serve at room temperature with the rice and dipping sauce.
Uyen Luu, My Vietnamese Kitchen (Ryland Peters & Small)
Soupe a l’oignon Lyonnaise
An unmissable classic that won’t disappoint – the onions melt into a buttery beef broth enriched with cream and egg and topped with grilled cheese.
Serves 8-10
60g unsalted butter, plus 1 tbsp
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1kg onions, peeled and sliced
1 bottle dry white wine
60g plain flour
1.8 litres beef stock
1 baguette, sliced
5 egg yolks
100ml port
250g creme fraiche
300g gruyere, grated
Salt and black pepper
1 Melt 60g of butter with the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they caramelise, but don’t cover the pan. Once the onions are ready, add the white wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
2 Melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in a large saucepan, add the flour and mix well to make a roux. Cook until the roux is light brown, but don’t let it burn. Add the stock, whisking well. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the onion mixture, season and cook for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toast some baguettes.
3 Preheat the grill. Mix the egg yolks, port and creme fraiche, then divide it equally between heatproof soup bowls. Pour some hot soup into each bowl, stirring it into the egg mixture with a fork. Add some of the toast , sprinkle with grated gruyere and glaze under a grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve.
Michel Roux Jr, The French Kitchen (Weidenfeld and Nicolson)
Onion fritters
There’s a reason these are such staples in Indian takeaways: like onion rings on burgers, they’re the maddeningly addictive morsel you just want more of.
Makes 12
3 small onions (225g), peeled, cut into semi-circles
⅛-¼ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 fresh hot green chilli, cut into rounds (optional)
½ tsp ground cumin
A generous pinch of ground turmeric
4 tbsp chickpea flour (besan or gram flour)
A pinch of salt
Olive or peanut oil, for deep-frying
1 Mix the onions, chilli powder, ginger, coriander, green chilli (if using), cumin and turmeric in a bowl. Dust with chickpea flour, but do not mix it in just yet.
2 About 15 minutes before eating, add the salt. Hand-mix the onions into the dry ingredients, mashing it all for about 5 minutes, or until the slices clump together.
3 Put 1cm of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. MeanwhileWhile it’s warming up, make 12 rough patties from the onion mixture, placing them in a single layer on a board or plate as you make them. Onion pieces will stick out, but that is how it should be. When the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium-low and add half the patties in one layer. Fry for 1 minute, flip, and fry for another minute. Flip again. Fry for another 30 seconds or so on each side until reddish-gold and crisp.
4 Drain on kitchen paper. Make a second batch the same way. Serve hot with some chutney.
Madhur Jaffrey, Curry Easy Vegetarian (Ebury)
Egg salad with onion
Egg and onion is a steadfast duo, to which spring onion adds piquancy. Excellent as a topping on toasted sourdough.
Serves 4-6
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
6 large hardboiled eggs, peeled and grated
2 spring onions, pale green and white bits, chopped
1 tbsp mayonnaise
A few gribenes (optional)
Salt and black pepper
1 bunch watercress and black olives, to garnish
1 Gently fry the sliced onion in the oil until soft and just starting to turn golden. Blitz the onion with a stick blender until smooth, then scrape into a bowl. Stir in the pureed onion, then the grated egg, mayonnaise and gribenes, if using, Season to taste. Spoon into a serving dish, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for up to two days until needed. To serve, garnish with watercress and decorate with a few black olives.
Ruth Joseph, Warm Bagels and Apple Strudel (Kyle)
Caramelised onion and goat’s butter pasta
This simple dish marries the sweetness of caramelised onions with the earthy creaminess of goat’s butter and cheese.
Serves 2
1 onion, finely sliced
A pinch of salt
200g dried spaghetti or linguine
A generous knob of goat’s butter
50g grated hard goat’s cheese, or more to taste
1 Sprinkle the sliced onion with the salt, then cook over a very gentle heat, stirring very often, until they are a reddish-gold colour.
2 When the onion is ready, cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the packet instructions say. Drain, then return to the pan and add the butter, onion and half the cheese. Toss well.
3 Divide between warmed bowls and serve with the rest of the cheese scattered on top.
Rebecca Seal, The Islands of Greece (Hardie Grant)
Harissa lamb with spiced mash and cinnamon onions
Onions spiced with cinnamon make a beautiful relish to top this moreish plate of aromatic lamb and mash.
Serves 4
8 chunky lamb chops or 4 lamb steaks
Salt and black pepper
For the marinade
120ml olive oil
2½ tbsp harissa
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of ½ lemon
A good handful of mint leaves, torn
For the mash
450g potatoes, peeled
650g parsnips, peeled and chopped
75ml whipping cream
100g butter
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp cayenne
50ml milk
For the onions
2 onions, very finely sliced
15g butter
1½ tsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp harissa
A good squeeze of lemon juice
A small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
1 Combine the marinade ingredients. Add the lamb chops; make sure they are well coated. Cover, then refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 ½ hours, turning them every so often.
2 For the mash, boil the potatoes and parsnips separately until soft. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan they were cooked in. Cover with a clean scrunched-up tea towel and set over a very low heat for a few minutes – this just helps to dry the potatoes out a bit and gives you a better mash. Meanwhile, drain the parsnips and puree them with the cream. Mash the potatoes or put them through a potato ricer, if you like.
3 Briefly cook the spices in melted butter. Add the potato and parsnip. Beat it all together. Warm the milk, then stir it in too. Season. Let the mash sit with the lid on if you don’t want to serve it immediately – you can reheat it gently if you need to just before serving.
4 Meanwhile, fry the onions in the butter and oil until golden. Turn up the heat and brown them quickly, so some become crisp. Add the cinnamon, harissa, lemon juice and coriander, season and cook for a further minute.
5 Salt the chops and fry them in a hot griddle pan over a high heat, until browned on both sides but pink in the middle.
6 Spoon the mash into warm bowls, heap the onions on top and serve with the chops.
Diana Henry, Crazy Water Pickled Lemons (Mitchell Beazley)
Onion tart with thyme and gruyere
Creamy and cheese-filled with hints of thyme and mustard – this is a comforting slice in which the onions play the star role.
Serves 4–6
65g cold butter, cut into cubes
100g plain flour
A pinch of salt
1–2 tbsp iced water
For the filling
50g butter
750g white onions, peeled
and very thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
200ml double cream
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp thyme leaves
Salt and white pepper
60g gruyere, freshly grated
Nutmeg, freshly grated
1 To make the pastry, in a food processor, briefly process the butter, flour and salt until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Now tip it into a large, roomy bowl and gently mix in the water with cool hands or a table knife, until well amalgamated. Knead the dough lightly, then put it into a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before rolling.
2 For the filling, melt the butter in a wide, shallow pan. Tip in the onions and very gently sweat over a moderate heat for at least 40‑60 minutes, until pale golden and completely soft. Cool.
3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, and place a flat baking sheet inside to warm up (it will help the base of the tart to cook thoroughly).
4 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface as thinly as you dare, then use it to line a 3cm-deep, 20cm tart tin. Prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry with foil and dried beans, and slide on to the hot baking sheet. Blind bake for 15–20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 10 minutes or so, until it is golden, crisp and well cooked-through – particularly the base.
5 Mix the egg, egg yolks, cream, mustard and thyme leaves. Carefully mix in the onions, season and pile the mixture into the pastry case. Sprinkle the gruyere over the surface and generously grate over a little nutmeg. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the filling has turned a rich golden colour and is just firm to the touch. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before eating.
Simon Hopkinson, The Vegetarian Option (Quadrille)
Vegetables à la Grecque
White wine, olive oil and herbs are simmered into a tasty broth to which the onions add a delicious sweetness. Pair with olives, feta, and good bread for a satisfying tasty meal.
Serves 4-6
12 onions, red or white
6 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into wedges (or use celery hearts)
2 medium courgettes, cut into thick batons
For the poaching liquid
475ml dry white wine
475ml olive oil
475ml water
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch thyme
6 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 small lemon, sliced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 To make the poaching liquid, combine all the ingredients in a wide enamel or stainless steel, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt. It should be well seasoned.
2 Some people dump all the v egetables into the pot at once, but they’re a bit hard to keep track of that way, since each has a different cooking time. Instead, cook them separately. You want tender, not mushy, vegetables.
3 Start with the onions. Simmer them gently until easily pierced with a skewer – about 10 minutes. Remove from the poaching liquid and let them cool on a plate. Continue with the other vegetables, counting on about 5 minutes for the carrots and fennel, and about 3 minutes for the courgettes.
4 Strain and cool the poaching liquid.
5 Put the vegetables in a deep wide dish and pour the cooled liquid over them. Let them sit in the liquid for at least a few hours, or refrigerate overnight.
6 When you’re ready to serve, remove the vegetables to a platter and spoon a little of the poaching liquid over the top. Serve at room temperature.
David Tanis, Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys (Artisan)
Turkish pomegranate onions
Perfect as a side to grilled meat, fried halloumi and slow-baked root veg.
Serves 6
3 red onions, peeled and quartered
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp sumac
1 tsp salt flakes
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 Toss the onions in the oil and skewer them. Fry in a hot griddle pan until well-charred.
2 Drizzle the hot onions with the molasses, sprinkle with the sumac and some salt flakes. Let them cool a little, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Olia Hercules, oliahercules.com
