PLENTY OF ONIONS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 312, 15 June 1945, Page 22

PLENTY OF ONIONS

HIS year we have plenty of onions, and should make the most of them and be thankful. Baked or boiled, they are a healthful vegetable, and "help out" with the meat and more expensive cauliflowers and so on, Onion Toast (Hampshire) Fry sliced onions brown, spread thickly over hot buttered toast. Season with pepper and salt, cover with thin slices of cheese, spread with a little mustard, and put in oven till cheese is melted. Serve at once. Stuffed Onions Select large onions. Peel and blanch in boiling water. Remove the centres, chop fine, and to six large onions allow one and a half cups soft bread crumbs, 4 cup grated cheese (or chopped leftover vegetables, or meat), 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Fill the shells; put a bit of butter on each onion, place in a pan with enough water or stock to prevent burning, cover and bake about 45 mins. in a hot oven, 375 degrees, Uncover to brown. Serve on buttered toast, with white sauce, or parsley sauce. Scalloped Onions (de Luxe) Grease a piedish or casserole and put in a thick layer of sliced cooked onions. Cover with plenty of white sauce, to which chopped parsley has been added. Next put a layer of sliced, hard-boiled eggs. Repeat the three layers, and cover finally with a generous layer of breadcrumbs, mixed with a little melted butter, Bake in hot oven till nicely browned. This dish is quite nice without the hardboiled eggs. Onion Stuffing This is good for stuffing veal or steak or baked fish, and so on, Fry 1 cup of sliced onions lightly in butter until tender and pale brown. Simmer 2 cups finely-diced celery in 2 cups boiling water till tender (about 20 minutes), drain, and save 1 cup of the liquor, Have ready about '% loaf of stale breadcrumbs (fine) and mix them with 2 tablespoons of finely-chopped sage leaves; pepper and-salt to taste. Add the celery, the onions and as much celery liquid as needed to make a soft stuffing. Mix thoroughly with a fork. Onion Mint Stuffing This is excellent with rolled forequarters of lamb, or neck and freast of mutton boned and rolled. One of the wartime hints for making meat go further is to bone it and replace the bone with stuffing. The bones can be used in soup. The butcher will do the boning for you, Two cups soft breadcrumbs, % cup bacon fat or other shortening, pepper and salt to taste, 44 cup finely-minced fresh or dried mint, and 4% cup finely minced onion. Combine all and moisten to a paste with hot water. Spread on meat, roll up and bake as usual. Glazed Onions Boil medium-sized onions till tender but not broken. Drain, and arrange in shallow baking dish. Mix together 4 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 4

teaspoon salt, and 6 tablespoons melted butter; and pour this over the onions. Sprinkle with a little paprika (or chopped parsley) and bake in moderate even for 20 to 30 mins., basting occasionally. Onions Baked in Milk Grease a casserole and put in a layer of sliced onions. Have ready some seasoned flour, (4% cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1-8 teaspoon pepper). Sprinkle some of this over the onions, then repeat the layers. Dot with butter and cover all with hot milk, Cover closely and bake till tender in slow oven-approx. 1% to 11% hours, French Fried Onions Three large onions, 1-3rd cup flour, %4 teaspoon salt. Slice peeled onions % inch thick; separate into rings, Dip in milk, then in the combined flour and salt. Fry in very hot fat till onions are brown, Drain on soft paper, and serve hot with steak, calf’s liver and bacon, etc. Serves four, Creamed Onions Boil onions, whole or halved or in rings, until tender, and drain. Make a good white saucé with milk, or milk and water-do not use the onion water. Add finely chopped parsley to the white sauce, and then re-heat the drained onions in it, Very good as a vegetable with boiled mutton, or with fried liver, Onion Shortcake (American) Line pie plate with short. pastry. Slice 6 medium onions, sprinkle with salt, and add to 2 tablespoons melted butter in frying pan. Cover and simmer gently, stirring till soft, but not brown. Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and let cook, Mix ¥ lightly beaten egg with ¥2 cup milk and pour over onions: Cook a minute, pour into pie plate, bake about half an hour, hot oven. The other half egg can be used in pastry. Onion Pudding Line basin with suet crust, Fill with finely cut onions, Sprinkle with paprika, grated nutmeg, cinnamon, curry powder, chopped parsley, chopped sage, a little salt. Put a dab of butter in, cover with suet crust, cover with greased paper, steam 3 hours. Serve with preserved pulped tomatoes, heated with a dash of vinegar, butter, pepper and salt and sugar to taste.