That onion made me cry
What a vegetable: the onion. Today is national Onion Day. Sounds silly, right? But, onions are in so much of what we eat every day. They are part of almost every broth, soup, sauce, and a variety of stews and international dishes. If you don’t think you’d miss onions, just remember: most pizza sauces have onion or a member of the allium family in them. That’s right: onion is part of the allium family. There are thousands of varieties ranging from garlic to shallot to Bermuda, Spanish, and Vidalia onion. If you are allergic, I feel very sad for you. It’s hard to find things not made with onion. Although you can still read The Onion. Still, you can avoid the tears involved in peeling them. But, you will say much worse things than That onion made me cry.
That seems to be the takeaway most people have about onions: they smell and make you cry. That misses the whole culinary delight of allium. We call base vegetables: aromatics. Most soups and stocks start with a trinity of aromatics: onion, celery, and carrot. But, onion, garlic, and it’s relatives are in more recipes than any other vegetable. When you look for recipes in various cuisines (like Chinese, Indian, or Mexian VS American or European) you expect to find unique ingredients. And, you will find items specific to those specific genres. But, You can bet you will find some form of onion. Chives, scallion, shallot, pearl, cippolini, leeks, spring onions, and more are all over the world, in all types of cuisines. So, unless you are a dog or cat, don’t sit there and tell me you don’t like onions. They are everywhere.
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That onion made me cry out in joy
People love or hate vegetables and associate what they see with the experience. Broccoli or asparagus are central, very visible parts of a dish. And, you can’t have corned beef and cabbage without a honking big piece of cabbage. But, onions are rarely the central focus of a dish. They are workhorses. Their flavor is usually and adjunct, undertone, or overtone. In fact, most of the allium family should get gold stars for their ability to work well with others. Just think of pasta. Your marinara is a symphony of tomato and herbs brought to life by onion and garlic. Tomato is the star. But, allium gives it character. You should be saying That onion made me cry out in joy.
Then, there are dishes that do highlight onions. Think of a caramelized onion pizza or a spring onion flan. How about our spring onion pancakes? How about a savory onion creme brulee? And, of course, raw onion in all kinds of salads are a must. But, usually, it’s all about how you cook them. Boiling is fine for a broth, along with other ingredients. Although, to really experience onions in all their glory, it’s best to saute, grille, sweat, or caramelize them. They, generally, have a lot of water content. So, cooking them down intensifies the flavor. They are naturally sweet, and can be caramelized with only the addition of a little oil. Heat activates the sugars. That is why caramelized onions are like candy. Give it a try.
Words of warning
Onions may be delicious in food. But, they do have a habit of scaring off people with their smell and ability to make one cry. But, there was a time, according to grandpa Simpson that they were very fashionable. Unless you want to keep people or vampires away, treat them with respect. Not only can they make you cry, they are an irritant if you have cuts. They are also known to aggravate symptoms of IBS and heartburn in some hyper sensitive patients. And, there are a rare few people who are actually allergic to them. Bad breath and eye irritation are common. Otherwise, they are actually very beneficial.
Of course, they are lethal to cats and dogs. They contain a substance called N-propyl disulfide. This element does not cook out, so raw or cooked onions can have potentially fatal effects on your pet. It gets into their bloodstream and causes anemia. So, be very very careful what you leave lying around. And, don’t even think about sharing your pasta with your dog. We can’t stress this enough. Your pet can, literally, die if it eats anything with onion in it.
If a 20 lb dog eats half an onion, it can be poisoned. That means if you have a bowl of pasta, the amount of cooked onion in there is probably enough to affect your dog. So, when we say “no people food”, it’s not being mean. It’s literally to save their lives. And, don’t forget, onions are in things you wouldn’t think of. If you have gravy, the broth is probably made with onion in it. And, now, that onion is concentrated into liquid for. Same goes for soup and more. Really think about what you are eating and keep it away from your dog.
That onion made me cry out about it’s health effects
Now that we’ve covered the bad news, here’s the good. Onions are super healthy. I have spoken to people from India and other areas who swear that eating an onion a day can stave off cancer. The evidence is conflicted on this one. While I’ll take that one with a grain of salt, there are proven health benefits backed by scientific testing.
They are full of nutrients like vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Potassium. At the same time, they are high in fiber and low in calories. Rich in anti-oxidants, they show anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful in heart health, even lowering cholesterol. The anti-oxidants are part of why people say onions fight cancer. In addition, allium helps control blood sugar (especially helpful in diabetics). Studies have shown they help with bone density. And, they can aid in digestion and have anti-bacterial properties.
And, of course, garlic and onion keep vampires away.
Cooking With Allium
Whether it’s leeks, Shallot, garlic chives of a host of other variations, allium serve as a base for many dishes. When you cook rice, beans, or other grains, start with onion and or garlic to round out any flavor. Stocks, broths, and soups should all include allium. And, Most sauces should have them as well. But, today, instead of being an adjunct or flavor component, we want to make the Onion the star of the day. So, we present a recipe that you’ve been waiting for since the fourth paragraph: Onion Creme Brulee.
It sounds contradictory. Most people think of creme brulee as dessert. But, you can make somewhat savory versions. Onion, when cooked properly has a sweet flavor that lends itself to the medium well. This version starts with a whole, hollowed out, roasted onion filled with an onion custard. We recommend serving it as a first course or as part of a main course. Think of it alongside Meat and vegetables or with a Legume stew. Usually, when I make creme brulee, it is baked in a dish. But, since onions are porous, we will make our custard on the stove and fill a roasted onion. Then, we will finish it with the trademark torched sugar. The end result is you will hear your guests say that onion made me cry at it’s beauty.
Viva l’oignon!
Vidalia Onion Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 4 Medium sized Vidalia or sweet Onions
- 3 Cups Heavy Cream
- 10 Large Egg Yolks
- 1/2 Cup Sugar, plus extra for torching later
- 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
- 1/4 Cup butter (Unsalted)
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Chive or Scallion
- Olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cut the top and bottom off each of the onions. Scoop out as much onion as you can while maintaining the shape of the onion and leave enough base to hold the custard later. In essence, make a hole in the middle that will hold 1/2 cup or more of custard. Take the parts you cut out and put them through a food processor.
- Coat the hollowed out onions with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees until well browned and softened, yet maintaining their integrity to stand (about 15 minutes)
- Chop the garlic fine. And chop the green onion. Put the green onion aside. Mix the garlic with the chopped innards from the roasted onions. Saute them in a little olive oil. Start at high heat to get some color, then turn down to low to caramelize. Cook until sweet, brown, and not too wet. Set aside.
- make the custard filling: Stir together cream and half the sugar in a heavy bottom pot. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, Whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch and1/4 cup of sugar. Slowly ladle the cream mixture into the yolk mix, whisking constantly to prevent curdling the eggs. Use a rubber spatula to return the mix to the pot. Put over low to medium heat, stir constantly until it has thickened. Do not overcook or you will have scrambled eggs. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, caramelized onion and garlic, and chives. Incorporate them well.
- Spoon the Custard mix into the Roasted onion bowls. Sprinkle the top with a thin layer of sugar and run a torch over the top to create a caramel disk on top. Serve immediately.