Day 273: Slow-Roasted Stuffed Red Onions with Lavender & Thyme

Elegant, yes? And unusual too.

And considerably fussy (especially for more than a couple of people) although all the prep is done ahead of time so perfect for company. They were also forgiving with oven time (while the onion picture was taken after 35 minutes in the oven, the onion eating happened after a whole 'nother hour in the oven thanks to an unexpected last-minute grocery run).

And tasty? That too. And perfect for an all-courses-lavender dinner party.

NEXT TIME I'd .... include the chopped bacon; cook the stuffing first in a skillet, as if for a turkey; use smaller onions; repeat the individual servings but with smaller onions, in smaller ramekins placed right on the plate.

FROM THE ARCHIVES For other out-of-the-ordinary vegetable recipes, see here in the Recipe Box.

SLOW-ROASTED STUFFED RED ONIONS
with LAVENDER & THYME

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Hands-on time: 30 minutes (about 15 for scooping out the onions)
Time to table: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Serves 2


Water
2 medium red onions

STUFFING
1/2 tablespoon dried lavender (this really complemented the onion)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 - 3 strips cooked bacon, in pieces
1 egg

1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup panko
Salt & pepper to taste

ONIONS
Fill a large pot (the water needs to cover the onions, another reason to get small ones) with water and turn heat to high. Meanwhile, wash the onions well, especially the root ends. Leaving the root and leaf ends intact, remove the outer paper layer, then the thickest outer layers (I found it easier to make a shallow incision, then peel from there). Add the onions to the water and bring to a boil. The inspiring recipe says to "boil for 5 minutes" -- I'm quite sure that these cooked for 20 or so. Drain and let cool until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Slice off about a half inch or so off the leaf end, then scoop out the inner layers, leaving the outer three or four layers and the root end intact. (I used a grapefruit spoon with a serrated edge, can't imagine how this step would go without something similar. This took a gentle touch, taking a bit out at a time. It seemed to take forever, but the second one was much easier than the first.) Chop the scooped-out onion (or do one/two quick pulses in a small food processor).

STUFFING
Combine the herbs, bacon and egg, then add about HALF the chopped onion, the Parmesan and panko. (Or ... cook like stuffing. The point is to get something more crispy, less custardy.) Stuff the onions and transfer to individual ramekins or a gratin dish. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until heated clear through.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 220 Cal (44% from Fat, 25% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 14 g Protein; 11 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 17 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb15; 198 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 518 mg Sodium; 142 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
A recipe picked up off the Internet somewhere, sorry, no notes on that

TAGS
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(c) Copyright 2006 Kitchen Parade
Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. My dad would love this. He always requests baked onions for Thanksgiving.

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  2. Hi Alanna - red onions seem to be popular at the moment - I did a delicious red onion upside down pie last weekend, too:)

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  3. Kalyn - If you made this for your WHOLE family, you'd want to enlist their help for it's definitely labor-intensive.

    Pille - I'm quite sure you STARTED the red-onion craze. I know I bookmarked that recipe!

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  4. Not sure about that, dear Alanna, but it's nice to be part of something trendy for a change:)

    ReplyDelete

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna