The onion has been a staple in kitchens for 5,000 years
"Just chop those onions up for me."
"How do you want them chopped?"
"In a medium dice is fine."
It was my first shift working as a prep cook in a kitchen for a renowned catering company and I was determined to show off my stuff. I began to chop the onions, sea-sawing my chef knife expertly against the cutting board, slicing through the onion like butter when I was abruptly halted.
"No," he hollered, "not like that – you have to chop them so they are all of uniform size, like this."
He pulled the knife from my hand and in a few seconds had reduced the round bulb to little pieces of equal size.
"This way they will all cook at the same rate."
He handed my knife back to me with an exasperated look which was echoed in the six pairs of chef-school-trained eyes looking at me from about the room. I was mortified. The onion, the single, most used culinary vegetable world-wide and I had failed at its simple preparation. I was humbled from that point forward. There is a correct and efficient way to slice an onion which I will address at the end of this column.
So, why have I chosen the onion as this week’s topic of culinary wisdom? I wanted to feature something that would be symbolic of the New Year – a shedding of the old skin to reveal the new. The onion, with its many thin layers of skin, proved to be the perfect emblem.
The onion and its concentric circles were considered a symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt. Pharaohs were buried with onions attached to various parts of their bodies. The onion is thought to have originated in East Asia but it now grows wild on most continents. It has been cultivated for the past 5,000 years. Ancient Greece revered the onion for both its culinary and medicinal properties. The ancient Olympian athletes were made to consume large quantities of onions as it was thought that they would "lighten the blood" for better athletic performance.
Before you scoff at the idea of eating an onion as a snack on the chairlift, there may be some scientific backup for the Greek’s theory. There are two powerful compounds that contribute to the onion’s makeup: sulphur – allyl sulphide makes you teary when cutting the bulb – and quercetin, an antioxidant common to tea and red wine. Quercetin is known to act as an anti-inflammatory due to its antioxidant and inhibitory effects on inflammation-producing enzymes. Perhaps eating lots of onions helps your muscles from becoming fatigued.
The onion’s medicinal benefits have a consistent reputation throughout the ages. It has been used as a tonic against baldness, celebrated as a potent diuretic, used to treat coughs, colds, intestinal problems, ulcers, parasites and prescribed to alleviate headaches. It is reputed to be good for the heart, lungs, eyes and joints. Russian soldiers in the Second World War used onion juice as an antiseptic to treat wounds.
Much of the medicinal folk lore can be backed up by modern scientific research. Quercetin has been shown to provide cardiovascular protection by reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol, it has anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, anti-viral and anti-allergy properties. It also helps with cataract prevention.
The onion beats out red wine as the richest dietary source of quercetin. It is also high in vitamin C – one medium sized onion contains as much as two apples.
Both cooked and raw onions have benefits. Cooking will reduce the sulphur compounds slightly while leaving the quercetin intact.
There are many varieties of onion grown today with varying size, colours and flavours. Generally, the warmer the growing climate, the sweeter the onions are. Hence Vidalia and Walla Walla onions, grown in Georgia and Washington respectively, are sweet and juicy. Pearl onions are small and mild in flavour. They are often pickled and added to the martini, transforming it to a Gibson. Other onion varieties include white, yellow and red onions, many of which are grown in Canada. The onion is a member of the lily family, which also includes tulips and asparagus.
When choosing onions, select those that are heavy for their size and that have dry papery skins. They should have no trace of mould or any moisture under the skin as this will cause them to spoil. They can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to two months. Avoid storing them with potatoes as the potatoes give off moisture that will cause spoilage.
Put an onion in the freezer for 10 minutes before cutting it to help alleviate the tears. Wearing ski goggles also works. To slice and dice an onion, peel the papery skin layers from the bulb. Slice off the hairy bits leaving a part of the root in tact. Slice the onion in half from pole to pole. With the cut side down, make two horizontal cuts into the onion towards the root end without cutting through the root. Next make vertical cuts down from the top of the half onion to the cutting board, again, avoid slicing through the root. Finally slice the onion across these cuts. Think of a Rubik’s cube.
Onions are great sliced raw into salads or atop burgers or slipped into sandwiches. They are addictive fried as onion rings or Indian bhajis. Onions are an addition to stir-fries, stews, soups, pizza, rice pilafs and roasts. Cooking the onion helps to alleviate some of its bite, making it sweeter and more palatable. Jonathan Swift must have been thinking this way when he rhymed:
There is in every cook’s opinion
No savoury dish without an onion
But less your kissing should be spoiled
The onion must be thoroughly boiled
The following recipe renders onions into a side dish that is delightfully sweet with little to no bite at all. Caramelized onions are excellent with grilled steak, added to a frittata or pizza. They are fantastic slipped into a grilled cheese sandwich. Sprinkled over bruschetta or focaccia they make a great appetizer. Best of all they are easy to prepare – they just take a while on the stove so you have to be nearby. I like to make these in a heavy cast iron frying pan as it holds the heat at a low temperature without scorching the onions.
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 medium sized yellow onions, halved and sliced into half centimetre slices across the grain
Heat butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy-bottomed frying pan. When the butter has melted add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Give it a stir with a wooden spoon to coat the onions and cook until the onions are soft and release some moisture, 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the onions for another 40 minutes stirring occasionally. The onions should slowly brown and become slightly sticky. If onions are scorching reduce heat, if they are not starting to brown after 15-20 minutes increase heat slightly. The onions are done when they have reduced in volume by half, are brown and sticky and sweet when tasted. Keeps in the fridge, covered, for seven days. Other recipes call for adding a dash of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan or even a teaspoon of brown sugar to sweeten them further. Yummy!
This recipe is a quick accompaniment to salmon that I love so much I don’t make salmon without it. It comes from Cook’s Illustrated magazine, April 1999 edition.
Sweet and Sour Chutney with Onions and Warm Spices
Makes about 1/3 of a cup — enough for four 6 oz. salmon fillets – it has huge flavour intensity so a little goes a long way.
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 a medium onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Mix spices and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat; sauté onion until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add reserved spice mixture; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Increase heat to medium-high and add vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons water; cook until mixture reduces by about one third and reaches a syrupy consistency, about 1 and a half minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Serve with salmon.
