Stuffed Onions

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5-quart (4.7-liter) saucepan or stockpot
• •Small melon baller or sturdy teaspoon
• •9-inch (23 cm) shallow broiler-safe gratin dish
• •Small saucepan
• •Pastry brush
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Parboil the onions

   Cut each onion horizontally one-quarter of its height down from the top. Reserve the edible flesh from those top pieces, peel the onion bases, and trim only the root hairs so the root plates remain intact. Bring the water and salt to a gentle boil, add the onion bases and top pieces, then lower the heat to a steady simmer. Cook the bases for 18 to 22 minutes, until the outer layers bend without cracking and a small knife enters halfway with slight resistance. The centers should remain firmer because the onions still have a braise ahead of them. Drain them upside down and cool until comfortable to handle.

2. 2

   Hollow sturdy shells

   Working through the cut opening, lift out the center of each onion with a melon baller or sturdy teaspoon, following its natural layers. Leave the root plate intact and keep a wall one-third inch (8 mm) thick all around. This is the principle inside the method: a thin shell collapses, while a thick one remains harsh. If the spoon pierces the base, patch the opening from inside with a broad piece of onion flesh and stand the onion directly on that patch during the braise. Chop all the removed flesh finely and measure it.

3. 3

   Balance the filling

   Measure a volume of Duxelle for Garnishing Small Pies, Onions, Cucumbers, etc. (No. 225) exactly equal to the volume of chopped onion flesh, up to 1½ cups (360 ml) of each. Fold them together until evenly distributed. If your onions yield less flesh, reduce the Duxelle to match rather than padding the mixture; the equal-volume ratio keeps the onion present against the richer mushroom-and-pork preparation.

4. 4

   Stuff and braise

   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) shallow broiler-safe gratin dish with 1 tablespoon (14 g) of the butter. Fill the onion shells, pressing just firmly enough to remove large gaps and leaving the filling slightly proud of each opening. Stand the onions close together in the dish, pour the stock around them until it reaches roughly one-third of their height, and dot the tops with another tablespoon (14 g) of butter. Cover tightly with buttered parchment and foil, then braise for 35 to 45 minutes, basting once after 20 minutes. They are ready when a knife slips easily through the onion wall and the center of the pork-containing filling reaches 160°F (71°C). If the dish dries before the onions are tender, add the reserved stock two tablespoons at a time.

5. 5

   Reduce and glaze

   Heat the broiler. Carefully pour the braising liquor into a small saucepan, leaving the onions upright in their dish. Boil the liquor until reduced to about one-third cup (80 ml), glossy, and thick enough to cling lightly to a spoon. Take it off the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, a monter au beurre, or finishing with butter. If the glaze separates into oily beads, stop heating and whisk in a teaspoon of cold stock. Ça se rattrape. Following the glazing form of Gratins (No. 268), brush the onions and filling generously with the glaze, then broil for 2 to 4 minutes, rotating the dish if needed, until the filling is bronzed and the glaze bubbles around the edges.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Rest the oignons farcis for 5 minutes so the glaze settles over the tender layers. Spoon any liquor from the dish around them and serve one onion per guest, whole and generous, beside a roast or simply with dressed bitter leaves and bread for catching the sauce. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose onions of equal size with broad shoulders and intact root plates. Large yellow Spanish onions have the mildness and regular layers this preparation needs; narrow or sharply flavored storage onions are harder to hollow and dominate the filling.
• •Duxelle for Garnishing Small Pies, Onions, Cucumbers, etc. (No. 225) is a finished referenced preparation and includes ordinary pork forcemeat. Plain mushroom duxelles cannot be exchanged invisibly, because the pork supplies the body that lets the filling slice cleanly and remain succulent.
• •Use unsalted stock. The braising liquor reduces sharply, and a salty boxed stock becomes harsher with every minute. A sound unsalted store-bought stock is the honest home equivalent to the classical stockpot.
• •Do not add cheese or breadcrumbs merely because the dish is called a gratin. Here the reduced braising liquor and butter form the glaze while the broiler bronzes the exposed filling.
• •A light red Burgundy or a dry, full white works well at the table. The wine needs enough freshness for the sweet onion and enough body for the mushroom-and-pork filling.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare Duxelle for Garnishing Small Pies, Onions, Cucumbers, etc. (No. 225) according to its separate entry up to one day ahead and refrigerate it promptly. The recipe times assume this finished component is ready.
• •The onions can be parboiled and hollowed up to one day ahead. Chill the shells and chopped flesh separately in covered containers so the shells do not become waterlogged.
• •The stuffed onions may be braised earlier the same day. Cool and refrigerate them in their covered dish, then reheat at 325°F (165°C) until the filling reaches 165°F (74°C). Reduce the saved liquor and complete the glaze only before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)