Focus on: Onions

Focus on Onions

Peel back the layers for all the info on these essential alliums

HOW TO STORE Most onions should be kept in a cool, dark, dry place (such as a kitchen cupboard) away from potatoes, as each releases gases that cause the other to spoil. Once peeled or chopped, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. For spring onions, remove any wilted leaves and keep in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.

HOW TO COOK Onions generally benefit from slow, gentle cooking in a little oil to draw out their moisture and increase their sweetness – the longer you cook them, the sweeter they’ll become. For a punchier flavour, lightly pickled or raw spring onions, red onions or shallots are great to cut through richer dishes.

BROWN

Robust in flavour, these are the go-to kitchen staple and ideal as a base for stews, sauces and stir-fries. When a recipe calls for onion but doesn’t specify a type, this is the one to use. TRY in a classic pissaladièrestyle onion and anchovy tart – get the recipe at tes.co/ oniontart.

SPRING

Young, mild and fresh, these onions have a distinctly ‘greener’ flavour. Chop or shred into salads and stirfries, or scatter over soups or omelettes for instant crunch and sharpness. TRY in our Dan dan-style noodles recipe on p28.

DID YOU KNOW…?

Onions release a sulphurous chemical when cut into, which is what makes people cry.

SHALLOTS

Their delicate flavour and small size make shallots perfect for slow-braising whole in casseroles or alongside a roast. If you have lots to prepare, cover with boiling water for 2 mins first - this will make them easier to peel.

TRY in a warming Greek lamb stew. Find a recipe at tes.co/greeklamb.

SWEET

A higher water and lower sulphur content allows the natural sweetness of these onions to shine through, producing a rounded, less pungent flavour. TRY using in a classic soffritto alongside carrot and celery, to make a favour-packed base for risottos or soups.

RED

These pleasingly purple-tinged onions have a slightly milder flavour than their brown counterparts and can be eaten raw (pour over a kettle of boiling water to remove some of their bitterness) or cooked. TRY finely sliced with diced pineapple, lime juice and mint for a zingy salsa to top tacos.

ECHALION SHALLOTS

Also called banana shallots, these are less fiddly to prepare than their miniature round cousins. They’re naturally sweeter than brown onions, stand up well to roasting and caramelise wonderfully.

TRY thinly slicing into rings, then fash-frying with cumin and mustard seeds to top dhals.