How To Chop an Onion

24 10 2009

Last month I had the good fortune to attend a cooking school with acclaimed chef and author Sara Foster. We spent a day with her in the garden and in the kitchen, then on Day 2 we were teamed up and charged with cooking for her and the rest of our group. Our table (which I shared with my mom and two other lovely women) was responsible for Succotash Salad with Garden Tomatoes. Given the size of our party, we had to quadruple the recipe. That meant dicing four peppers, four onions, and eight tomatoes, plus slicing kernels off 8 ears of corn.

Much to everyone’s relief, I volunteered to tackle the onions. At home I always do it by hand, despite my Cuisinart. I love the rhythm of my knife against the wooden cutting board and find the whole process soothing in a “life-was-slower-then” kind of way. Besides, I think machines tend to be too rough on food.

Sara was giving instructions to another table, so I asked Joseph Lunn, chef de cuisine at Blackberry Farm, for advice on how to peel the onions. It always seems like the onion skins break apart and it takes me longer to peel the slippery onion than to chop it. Not only did Joseph show me how to peel them in a fraction of the time, he demonstrated a technique for dicing them that beats the one I learned in cooking school. Here’s what he did. (Thanks, Joseph!)

onion1
Wash the onion if the root end is dirty and put it on your cutting board.

onion2
Chop off both ends and discard.

onion3
Slice in half lengthwise and peel. You’ll probably lose the outer layer of onion, but Joseph said not to worry about. I love how fast this is!

onion4
Place half of the onion horizontally on the cutting board. Take your knife on the far side of the onion just up from the cutting surface and slice it nearly all the way through, making sure to leave the far end intact so the onion stays together. Move up the knife an eighth or quarter of an inch (depending on size dice you want) and make another slice, repeating until you’ve sliced all around the onion.

onion5
Now slice the onion vertically. The onion will naturally separate into even pieces.


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Categories : In Autumn

Caramelize Your Extra Onions

24 07 2009

Onions are the backbone of so many dishes, they’re an absolute must in the pantry. Until I joined a farm share, I would buy them a few at a time, one for the recipe I had in mind and a few more for good measure. But now I’m getting five or six onions at a pop, and find myself with a glut.

What to do with so many onions?

In the past, I’ve diced them and frozen them in a Ziploc inside another Ziploc. Even so, the odor lingered in the freezer. This time I decided to go a step further and caramelize them. I was home and could let them slowly do their thing while I did, well, other things. This way, when life gets hectic, I’ll be able to make some of our favorite dishes calling for caramelized onions, like Frittata with Caramelized Onions, Ham and Potatoes, or flatbread with chicken, feta and caramelized onions, in a fraction of the time.

To caramelize onions, peel them, then cut them in half from root end to the top. Slice each half into thin rings. Put several tablespoons of olive oil (more or less, depending on how many onions you have) in a saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and stir. Turn down the heat to medium after a few minutes and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until light brown and sweet. If you’re short on time, you can cook them for 20 minutes then deglaze the pan with a bit of balsamic vinegar, which will intensify the flavor and deepen the color.

Take them off the heat and let them cool completely, then divide them into portions you think you’ll use in a recipe and freeze them in a Ziploc bag sealed inside a second Ziploc.


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Categories : In Summer, Recipes, Uncategorized

Beef Stew with Red Wine

11 03 2009

4 large carrots, or lots of little ones, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 large potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thin
3 pounds of beef, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
3 cups beef broth (I like Swanson organic beef broth, with less sodium and no MSG)
2 cups red wine
14 ounces diced tomatoes
2 large T tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups frozen peas
1-2 T cornstarch, if desired
Chopped parsley

In a slow-cooker, layer first carrots, then potatoes, onions and beef on the bottom. In a large mixing bowl, combine broth, wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and thyme. Pour this mixture over the beef and cover. Cook on low 8-9 hours or on auto for 7-8 (check instructions for your slow cooker). About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the peas, add kosher salt and pepper to taste and cover. Depending on how much broth you have left, you can thicken it with 1-2 T of cornstarch, mixed in a small bowl with a little cold water and then stirred into the stew. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over brown rice or with crusty bread.


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Categories : Recipes, Uncategorized


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