Melting Onions Food

MELTING ONIONS

Steps:

• Position rack in upper third of oven. Preheat to 450°F.
• Toss onions, oil, butter, sage (or thyme), salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread in a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan (don't use glass or ceramic, which might shatter). Roast, turning once, until browned on both sides, 30 to 35 minutes total.
• Turn the onions again and carefully add broth to the pan. Continue roasting until the broth is reduced and the onions are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes more.

RICH BRAISED BEEF WITH MELTING ONIONS

Steps:

• Dust the beef in flour, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and fry for 5 mins. Add the sugar and cook for 5-10 mins, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelised. Stir in the garlic for the final few mins.
• Pour in the stock and stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Add the beef and mushrooms, then season, adding plenty of black pepper. Cover and cook gently for 2 hrs until the meat is tender. Can be chilled for up to 3 days. To freeze, cool and store in freezer bags. Thaw and reheat in a pan. Serve scattered with parsley.

MELTING MIDDLE ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut a small disc off the root bottom of each onion so they stand upright. Cut 1cm slices off the tops (these will be used as lids), then put back on top of the onions. Wrap each onion in foil, transfer to a baking tray, and bake for 1 hr until tender.
• Melt the butter in a pan. Tip into a bowl. Add the pine nuts to the pan and toast over a low heat for 2 mins until golden. Add to the butter with the breadcrumbs, garlic, thyme, parsley and egg. Stir, then season.
• Cut the cheese into 8 chunky cubes. When the onions are cool enough to handle, scoop out the soft centres, leaving a few layers of onion at the edge. Finely chop the scooped-out centres from 2 onions, and add to the breadcrumb mix (reserve the rest to use in another recipe, such as ragu). Spoon the breadcrumb mixture into the hollowed-out onions so they're halfway full, then push a piece of cheese into the middle of each and top up with more breadcrumb mixture. Top each onion with its 'lid', then roast for 35-40 mins more until tender and the cheese is melted.

BEEF IN RED WINE WITH MELTING ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. In a large, heavy-based flameproof casserole dish with a lid, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook for 10 mins until starting to brown, then transfer to a small plate.
• Put the flour in a large plastic food bag with plenty of black pepper. Add half the beef, shake to coat, then remove, leaving some flour in the bag. Add the rest of the beef and shake to coat in the remaining flour.
• Heat the oil in the same casserole dish you cooked the onions in (there's no need to clean it first). Add the beef and bay leaves, and fry until the meat is browned all over. Pour in the wine and return the onions to the dish. Add the tomato purée and stock, stir and return to a simmer. Cover with the lid and put in the oven to stew for 1 hr.
• After 1 hr, add the mushrooms and return to the oven for another hour. Taste the meat - if it's tender, remove from the oven. If it's still a little firm, cook for 30 mins more and test again. Serve scattered with parsley, if you like.

MELTY ONION TOASTS

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a sauté pan, add the onions, then sprinkle over the sugar. Sweat the onions for 20 mins over a medium heat, stirring them occasionally, until sticky and golden. Add the brandy, if using, reduce down to nothing, then season to taste. This onion topping can be made 2 days ahead and kept covered.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Toast the bread, spread the onions over, then top with slices of cheese. The toasts can be made up 1 hr ahead. Place on a baking tray, then bake for 15 mins until bubbling and golden. Serve each piece of toast on a plate with a sprig of dressed watercress next to it.

CHEESY CHICKEN MELT WITH ALL OF THE ONIONS RELISH

Steps:

• Heat a large sauté pan with 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until it is smoking. Season the chicken with 3⁄4 teaspoon of the salt and gently place it in the pan. Cook on one side until almost cooked all the way through, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for about 30 seconds, or until it is no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest.
• Immediately add the yellow onion and the remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to the pan. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is dark and smells amazing but is not burnt. If it's getting too dark, lower the heat. Add the vinegar, along with the liquid that has collected on the plate where the chicken is resting, and turn the heat to low. Simmer the onion for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the onion to a bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape the pan out completely. When the onion has cooled down a little, about 5 minutes, add the red onion, scallions, fried shallots, and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the same pan. Lay out two slices of bread on your work surface and place a slice of cheese on each. Top each piece of cheese with half of the onions, two pieces of chicken, and another slice of cheese, and cover with another slice of bread. Place the sandwiches in the pan with the melted butter. Cook over medium heat, about 3 minutes, until the cheese on the bottom slice is melted and the bread is nicely toasted. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and flip the sandwiches. Cook them for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bottom is toasty. Remove the sandwiches from the pan, cut them in half, and insert a frilly toothpick or cocktail sword near the top in each half and serve.