Onions
October 23rd, 2008
“As they are one of the most versatile seasonings in a cook’s repertory, it pays to know your onions”
(The Joy of Cooking, 389).
I spent most of my youth hating onions. I thought they were evil crunchy bits that were out to ruin all my meals. My mother would run spaghetti sauce through a food mill to take out even the tiniest pieces. And then, all of a sudden, I discovered that onions are actually quite delicious. I can’t remember exactly when this life-changing revelation occurred, but it was definitely sometime during my freshman year of college. I started using onions in everything. My creation of the aptly-named “sausage and onions” became one of Ian’s favorite meals.
Onions, as well as garlic and leeks, are members of the genus allium. The sulfurous qualities of the onion, intended as a natural defense mechanism, can be manipulated by the strength and duration of heat. “Cooking transforms this chemical defense into a deliciously savory, almost meaty quality that adds depth to many dishes in many cultures” (On Food and Cooking, 310).
Because of the strong presence of sulfur in onions, it is best to soak cut onions in lightly salted water before serving raw. After soaking for about 15 minutes, rinse and drain. This will ameliorate the sulfur flavor. The salt water soak method will be employed in a recipe later this week, Red Onions with Rosemary-Mandarin reduction sauce.
There are two main categories of onions: spring onions and storage onions. This week, I’ll be focusing on storage onions. Most onions in the grocery store are of the storage variety, including yellow, white, and red onions. “The second major kind of market onion is the storage onion, grown through summer and harvested when mature in the fall, rich in sulfur compounds, drier, and easily stored in cool conditions for several months” (On Food and Cooking, 312).
In addition to being delicious and easy to store, onions have myriad health benefits. Inulin, one of the components of an onion’s dietary fibers, has been shown to reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes.
And although onions occasionally get a bad rap for causing stinky breath, the browning enzymes that we found so annoying during apple week can reduce that. “Many raw fruits and vegetables are effective at this, notably pome and stone fruits, grapes, blueberries, mushrooms, lettuces, burning burdock, basil, and peppermint” (On Food and Cooking, 270).So eat your apples and veggies!
This week we’ll be looking at many different onion preparations, from basic caramelization and roasting to the slightly more impressive. So even though I know that none of these recipes will be served on my parents’ dinner table, I can assure you that onions truly are quite delicious.