The Onion Family, Flavor Champions who deserve attention

The flavor champs of every kitchen are members of the Allium family: onions, scallions, chives, leeks, shallots and garlic. They are actually deemed to make food so enticingly tasty, Chinese Buddhist monks banned them from their diet as the cause of desire--for food. Perhaps it's precisely because they make food so delicious that there is virtually no kitchen south of the North Pole that doesn't use at least one of them. Onions unite us all.

And for good reason. The common chemical that bonds this family is sulfur. Thus their infamous "smelliness." Thus the tears cutting an onion as the gas emerges. It is powerful, so powerful it became one of our first wonder drugs. It works wonders all by itself. It cleans your lungs. it brings out the bravado of necessary nutrients hidden in other ingredients. Onions can regulate blood fat and cholesterol levels, decrease risk of chronic inflammation and provide more phytonutrients that just about any other food. In other words, eat them. Here are some ways the world does that. (A few weeks ago I posted a wonderful fish with saffron onions and cilantro sauce recipe, a spring post has the recipe for Korean scallion pancakes and another a recipe for leek fritters.)

Scallions, chives and wintered over leeks are in season along with new crop onions. I'm ignoring garlic right now because it's too early in the season to find anything but what's called "green garlic." 

This is essentially a garlic scallion pulled to thin the patch for other bulbs to fatten. It's best to only use ones where the bulb has not fattened wider than the stalk; that's when they get "woody." Green garlic can be used like scallions but my favorite way to eat them is to sprinkle them with olive oil and sea salt and roast them at 450º 10-12 minutes until they melt in your mouth. I may have said this in a recent post.

The French take the lead in honoring the onion--onion soup, Quiche Lorraine (bacon/onion tart), and here is an old Jacques Pepin recipe I included in the original How to Fix a Leek..., the book.
Onion Puree
This is great with grilled spicy fish or chicken or roasted meat.
serves 6 
2 lbs onions
1 c water
2 tbsp peanut or corn oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp celery seed
tiny pinch ground cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
1/4 c fine or medium ground cornmeal
1/4 c heavy cream


Peel and slice onions very thin. Place in a large stainless or enamel (not aluminum) saucepan with the water, thyme, celery seed, ground cloves, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir to blend everything. Cover the pot, reduce heat to simmer and cook 35 minutes. Remove bay leaf. (This is always crucial because they are poisonous to the stomach.) Sprinkle cornmeal on top, then stir it in. Cover the pot again and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture is soft, whisk it to mush into purée. Fold in the cream, bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot.  
   
And here's what I put in the updated version
Cinnamon Saffron Moroccan Onions

Typically served hot or warm as an appetizer with crusty bread or atop grilled eggplant, meat or chicken.
serves 4

4 medium onions, peeled
1 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground or crumbled saffron threads 
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Half the onions lengthwise, then cut the halves into slender wedges.  Put these in a lidded skillet/frying pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover the skillet, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Drain well.

Use the same pan to warm the olive oil over low heat. Stir in the saffron and spices. Cook 1 min to release their fragrances, then raise heat to medium and add the onions. Stir in the honey. Add 1 1/2 c water, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet and simmer 40 minutes. Remove the cover and simmer another 10 minutes or until the liquid is nearly gone and syrupy. Serve. 

Germans love onions like the French do. One of their favorite foods is
Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Cake or Tart)

not my photo

You can eat this German flatter no cheese version of a French Quiche any time of day. The French Germans of Alsace call it Flammekuche.
serves 4-6
4 oz warm whole milk
2 oz unsalted butter
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp salt
1 c + 2tbsp unbleached flour
7 oz smoked bacon in strips
1 tbsp lard, or equivalent
2 1/2 lb onions, peeled and diced
1 tsp cumin seed
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste (a lot is good here)
4 oz heavy cream
2 egg yolks

Make the dough
Slightly warm the milk so it melts the butter you put in. Sprinkle in the dried yeast and set the mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes until it gets frothy. Add half the salt to the flour and blend it into the frothy yeast to form a dough. Knead the dough into a ball and leave it in a warm spot  20 minutes to rise. Butter or grease a cookie sheet. Roll the dough out to its size and lay it on the prepared sheet. Raise a small rim around all edges to keep the onions from escaping. Let this dough rise another 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400º.

Fry the bacon in the lard of equivalent in a lidded skillet over medium/low heat so it doesn't burn. When it's getting crisp add the onions and cover the skillet. Cook over low heat until the onions soften, 8-10 minutes. Season with cumin seed, freshly ground pepper and the remaining salt. Remove from heat and stir in the cream and yolks, blending well. Spread this filling evenly over the dough. 

Bake 30 minutes until the dough is golden and crisp and the filling is "set."  Serve warm. 

Kushari, Egyptian street food

not my photo

The focal point of this favorite Egyptian nutritional mishmash is the fried onions. It's hearty and very popular with children, working folks and tourists at all hours. Vinegary tomato sauce is a must have partner. It adds lots and lots of garlic.
serves 4

2 lg yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
1/4 c cornstarch
1 c brown lentils
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 c medium or long grain white rice
1 tsp ground cumin
2 c elbow macaroni or ditalini
1/2 c good quality olive oil

Pat the onions dry with paper towels. Put them in a medium bowl with the cornstarch and toss to coat them well. Set aside.

In a medium lidded pot combine the lentils, ground cloves and 1 tsp salt with 1 1/2 c water. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are tender, 12-15 minutes. Don't let them get mushy. Add water as they cook if necessary.  Drain well.

At the same time, cook the rice. Bring 1 1/2 c water to a boil over high heat. Then add the rice, cumin and 1 tsp salt. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until rice is cooked.  Drain off any liquid. 

Cook the macaroni according to package instructions in a third pot. Drain and rinse with cold water.

 While those three pots simmer, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Put in the coated onions and fry until they are brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.

Place the pasta on the serving dish. Top it with the rice, then the lentils and finally the fried onions.

The sauce this is usually served with
1 tbsp good quality olive oil
6 sm garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
pinch ground cayenne pepper
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 c (16 oz) canned/boxed crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic, cumin, salt and cayenne. Stir, then pour in the vinegar. Cook 1 min until you get a good whiff of flavor, then add the tomato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowest simmer and cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. 
  Serve hot in a separate bowl.

Sweet and Sour Turkish Onion Petals

This magical presentation features both onions and chives. It's meant to be a side dish for grilled kebobs but it works just as well with  roasted meats or chicken. Vegetarians can use it beside a cheesy chili polenta.
serves 4

12 small red onions, peeled and halved lengthwise
   4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1 1/2 c pomegranate juice
4 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Heat oven to 425º.
In a large bowl toss the onions with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay the onions out in one layer an roast about 30 minutes, turning them once or twice. They should be softened and charred.  Cool.

While the onions roast, in a medium saucepan bring the pomegranate juice to a boil over high heat, Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cook 12 minutes or until the liquid has significantly reduced to a loose syrup. Let it cool and thicken more on its own.

In a small bowl, mix the chives with  tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt.

Use a serving platter with high sides. Pour most of pomegranate syrup on the bottom and swirl it around to cover most of the plate. Separate the onions into individual petals (use your hands) and scatter them over the syrupy plate. Spoon the remaining pomegranate syrup over them and then spoon over the chive oil and serve.

Fresh Peas with Scallions and Mint

I sometimes call this company's coming peas because it's more glamorous than the usual side dish. It's great with salmon or any grilled fish and could also be turned into a risotto with the addition of a few pine nuts. 
serves 4

2 lbs fresh peas, shelled and washed (hold a few pods)
6 outer lettuce leaves, still wet from washing
5 pea pods, emptied
4 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Over very low heat melt 1/2 tbsp butter in a heavy lidded saucepan. Remove from heat and line the pan with 3 lettuce leaves. Add the peas, pods, scallions, mint and 1 tbsp butter. Cover with the remaining 3 lettuce leaves. Cover the pan tightly. Cook on high heat 1 minute, then reduce heat to very low and simmer 12 minutes. Remove the empty pods and the lettuce. Season the peas and scallions with salt and pepper and serve.


Parsnip and Leek Crisp

not my photo

Here's a British vegetarian meal in a pan. Parsnips are often overwintered and pulled in Spring when they are thought to be sweeter. So this is both a Spring and Fall dish. And it has chives to boot.

Serves 4

6 leeks (about 1 ¾ lbs) trimmed, washed halved and cut into 2” lengths
4 parsnips: 2 peeled and roughly chopped into 1” pieces, 2 coarsely grated
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ c creme fraiche
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 c vegetable stock
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

For the topping 

4 tbsp jumbo rolled oats
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 tbsp plain flour or cornmeal
1 1/2  tbsp pumpkin seeds

½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Heat the oven to 350º.

Toss the leeks and chopped parsnips with the olive oil in a large pie dish or deep roasting pan. Sprinkle over thyme and season with salt and pepper. Roast 35 minutes, until the leeks are soft and buttery, parsnips soft all the way through.

Meanwhile, mix all but 3 tbsp of the grated parsnips in a bowl with the creme fraiche, chopped garlic, lemon, cider vinegar, stock, beans and chives. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

In a separate bowl, make the topping. Using your fingertips, rub the oats, butter, flour, pumpkin seeds and nutmeg together with the remaining grated parsnip so that it starts to clump and look like chunky breadcrumbs. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Once the leeks and parsnips are soft, remove from the oven and blend the bean and creme fraiche mix into them.

Remove the topping from the fridge, sprinkle it evenly over the filling and put the grated cheese on top. Return to the oven for 30 minutes.

This is Part One. The Alliums are so vital there will be Part Two:

Russian Scallion Pancakes

Pissaladiere, famed Provencal onion pizza
Chinese chive dumplings

French Onion Tart with apples

Fried Pork fillets with creamy leeks
British blue cheese, balsamic onion tart
Leek and Cauliflower Soup