Look at you, chopping and weeping. Idiot. Is this the way you go through life, your mind a stopless knife, driven by your fantasy of truth …
excerpt from ‘Monologue for an Onion’
by Suji Kwock Ki
Are there any savory recipes that don’t include an onion or one of its relatives?
I begin by peeling the coarse dark skin from a Spanish onion. This is the blue-collar worker of the family, with a large uniform size, not sweet/not bitter flavor and a good shelf life.
Trim off the stem end with a paring knife. Peel back the skin, holding the knife between the thumb and forefinger, drawing it towards you.
The sweet Vidalia onion has gained national fame. It comes from the area around Vidalia, Ga., and is in season from early spring until September. Its mild and juicy flavor makes for a great onion pie or Quiche Lorraine.
Cut the peeled onion in half with a chef’s knife. Hold it cut-side down with the palm of your hand. Make three horizontal cuts, but don’t cut through to the other side. Turn the onion and make vertical cuts, holding it together with your fingers. Turn it again and cut across the grain. The diced onion will drop onto the cutting board.
Shallots are the French aristocrats of the family: small, pink inside, with cloves resembling garlic. When sautéed in butter they release a sweet, complex aroma. Reduced with wine they become a beurre blanc; reduced with vinegar, a béarnaise; combined with vinegar, oil, mustard and herbs, a vinaigrette.
Peel the outer skin from the shallot and separate the cloves. With a small, sharp knife, slice horizontally, then vertically, then across the grain, leaving tiny minced pieces.
The leek is the family member with deep flavor and large green leaves. Mainly the white part near the stem is used, and when sweated in butter at very low heat it releases the flavor that makes vichyssoise so famous.
Slice the stem off carefully so as not to waste the white part. Then cut off the leaves just above the white section and discard. Rinse the white part in cold water. Slice into quarters, then slice again into eighths. Holding them together, rinse again to get all of the sand out of the center. Lay it on the cutting board and cut into small dice.
Ramps are wild leeks that appear in April. They look like scallions, except the leaves are larger. They have a strong, aromatic flavor that is a combination of garlic and onion.
Slice off the root with a small knife and peel back the outer layer of skin. Chop the stem and use like leeks. Roll up the leaves and slice them into thin strips (chiffonade). Use them at the end of cooking like chives.
The green onion, called scallions by chefs, is the first ingredient in a stir-fry and many other Asian dishes, including the famous Peking duck. This crisp, pungent onion has a white part and a green part that complement food either raw or cooked, often being a substitute for chives.
Trim the stem end off and cut the ends of the green part off also. Peel back the outer layer to expose the tender onion underneath. Chill for use as a crudité or chop into small pieces. For a precise dice, split it lengthwise and, holding the pieces together, slice them across at close intervals.
The pearl onion, or white onion, is small in diameter with a white skin. It is often called a boiling onion. These onions are used in an Irish stew or boeuf bourguignon.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and toss the onions into the boiling water for one minute and drain. Rinse in cold water and peel with a small knife. The outer layer will come off easily without tears.
Five Onion and Two Potato Soup
Purchase 1 Spanish onion, 1 sweet onion, 1 leek, 2 shallots and a bunch of green onions.
Peel and dice the Spanish onion, sweet onion, leek and shallots.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven and add the onions along with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, a bay leaf and a teaspoon of minced garlic. Cook at very low heat, covered, for 20 minutes.
Peel and dice 2 large russet potatoes and add them to the onions. Pour in 4 cups chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are very tender and remove from the stove.
Using a slotted spoon, purée the solids in a food processor and add them back to the broth.
Peel and dice 4 red potatoes and add them to the puréed soup along with 3 diced carrots and 1 diced stalk of celery. Put the pan back on the stove and simmer at low heat until the vegetables are just tender, about 30 minutes.
Season with 2 teaspoons coarse salt and 1 teaspoon white ground pepper. Stir in 1 bunch of minced green onions, 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1 package of frozen peas. Bring back to a simmer and stir in 1 cup heavy cream.
Check for seasoning and serve.
Makes 8 servings.
Sweet Onion Tart
Thaw one package of frozen puff pastry sheets and spray a 9-by-13-inch sheet pan with no-stick.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 rectangular sheet of pastry to be a little longer and a little wider than it was at the start. It should overlap the sheet pan by about 2 inches. Lay it in the sheet pan and press it against the sides with your fingers.
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Peel 2 large sweet (or Vidalia) onions, cut them in half and slice into thin slices. Slice the white part of 1 leek into thin slices and mince 3 cloves of garlic.
Heat a large sauté pan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onions, leek and garlic along with 1 teaspoon thyme, a bay leaf, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground pepper and a dash of hot red pepper flakes. Cover and cook at low heat for 15 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, place the cooked onions in the pastry-lined sheet pan and distribute them evenly.
Beat together 2 eggs, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk. Pour this mixture over the onions and place the sheet pan in the oven for 20 minutes.
Reduce the heat of the oven to 375 degrees and remove the sheet pan.
Garnish the tart with 4 ounces goat cheese, sliced; 1 can of anchovy strips; a dozen Kalamata olives; and strips of roasted red pepper. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes and serve.
Serves 4.
Ramp Risotto with Mussels
Place 2 pounds of mussels in a soup pot on the stove. Add 1 cup white wine, cover and turn the heat to high. Cook until the mussels open, remove them to a bowl and reserve the broth.
Clean about 2 dozen wild leeks or ramps, removing the root and scraping down the outer layer of skin with a paring knife. Chop the stems and the leaves and set aside.
Heat a saucepan and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Stir in 1 cup Arborio rice and 1 chopped sweet onion. Cook at high heat for 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, and add the reserved mussel broth. Let this cook down until it is almost evaporated, then begin adding 3 cups chicken stock, one ladle at a time. Continue stirring and adding stock until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
Meanwhile, cut one bunch of asparagus into bite-sized pieces and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes.
Blanch 1 package of frozen peas and set aside.
Remove the mussels from their shells, reserving a few for garnish.
Add the chopped wild leeks, mussels, asparagus and peas to the risotto and check for seasoning. Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with the mussels in their shells.
Serves 4.
Note: If wild leeks are not available, add the white part of 1 leek to the sweet onion along with 2 cloves minced garlic.)
