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| No-cry onions are flavorful, good for stuffing. |
Are they mutants? I’ve got onions from the garden so mild that chopping them doesn’t bring tears to my eyes. I don’t know whether this bonus trait is due to the variety of onion or if, perhaps, it’s because the crop was allowed to “mature” in the earth a month instead of being dug up while their tops were still green.
If you are not blessed with tear-free onions, here are several ways to avoid tears when peeling and chopping them (none of which are very successful): chill the onions in the freezer 10 minutes before chopping; peel them submerged in a bowl of water; cook unpeeled onions in boiling water 10 minutes; wear swimming goggles to protect the eyes. Our onion crop did not flower and produce seeds, so their extraordinary qualities are not retrievable.
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| No tears! |
In any case, I am celebrating onions with this recipe from Asturias for stuffed onions. In Asturias, the principality/province on the northern Cantabrian coast of Spain, the dish is made with bonito de norte, albacore tuna, that is fished in local waters. Albacore, also called “light tuna,” is best but any canned tuna or salmon can be used.
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| Onions stuffed with tuna are braised in tomato-wine sauce. |
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| Serve the stuffed onions with bread for sopping the delicious sauce. |
Stuffed Onions, Asturian Style
Cebollas Rellenas al Estilo de Asturias
Use any variety of onion but try to choose those of similar size. (I had only four medium onions, so I used the remaining stuffing mixture for a red bell pepper.)
Prepared tomato sauce goes into both the stuffing and sauce. Make homemade sauce, if desired, or open a can of store-bought tomate frito.
If you use a large roasted bell pepper, one pepper, divided in half, is sufficient for the stuffing and the sauce. If using small piquillos, use 2 for the stuffing and 2 more for the sauce.
An earthenware cazuela is perfect for slow-cooking the onions on the stovetop. However, clay cooking vessels can’t be used on induction hobs. Choose a pan with lid that is small enough to hold the onions upright.
Serves 6 as a starter.
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| Albacore tuna from a jar. |
6 medium onions (about 5 ounces each)
10 ounces canned tuna in olive oil (1 cup drained)
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
Flame-roasted red peppers, such as piquillos, chopped
6 tablespoons prepared tomato sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon pimentón (paprika)
1 cup white wine or dry cider
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
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| Scoop out onions. |
Remove dry outer skins from the onions. Cut enough off the root ends so the onions sit upright. Cut a thin slice off the tops and reserve the tops. Use a melon baller or pointy spoon to scoop out the inner layers of the onions, leaving 1 or 2 outer layers to form a shell. Reserve all the scooped pieces. Place the onion shells on a microwave-safe plate and microwave them on High for 2 minutes.
For the stuffing: Drain the tuna, place it in a bowl, and break it up with a fork. Add the egg, half the chopped peppers, and 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the stuffing mixture between the 6 hollowed onions. Cover them with the reserved tops.
Place 1 tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a pan of a size to hold the onions snugly. Set the stuffed onions in the pan.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil on medium in a skillet. Add the pieces of onion that were scooped out of the onions and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and remaining chopped peppers. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce and the wine or cider. Cook 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
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| Pan with stuffed onions and pepper. |
Pour the sauce over the onions in the pan. Add the water, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover the pan and cook until onions are very tender when tested with a fork, about 90 minutes. Baste the tops occasionally with the sauce.
Serve the onions and sauce hot or room temperature.
More onions:
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The video shows several recipes from
FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS--The Culinary Legacy of Spain.
Video by Daniel Searl
My new cookbook,
FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, published by Hippocrene Books, is available from your favorite bookseller. For more about what’s in the book, see Meatballs with Backstory.
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)
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