CRYIN’ TIME
Packed with history and recipes, ‘Onions Etcetera’ elevates the humble vegetable
Is there any more unsung hero in the kitchen than the humble onion, or its equally unheralded BFF, the garlic clove? These cheap and versatile veggies are the culinary world’s workhorses, playing a supporting role in so many dishes in so many cultures. Even the dual threats of bad breath and a teary-cutting experience can’t diminish their universal appeal. Alliums, as they are known collectively, are one of the world’s oldest cultivated plants and have been used to flavor food since at least 5000 B.C.
So how’d they become the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables?
“We take them for granted,” says Kate Winslow, who grew up in Pittsburgh and worked as an editor at Gourmet. “So you kind of forget, and think they’re just for seasoning.”
Yet it’s only with the aromatic addition of alliums that a clever cook can build something perfectly delicious to eat, she says. And to prove her point, she and her photographer husband Guy Ambrosino spent six straight months devising the ultimate guide to cooking with leeks, scallions, garlic, shallots and every other sort of onion.
“Onions Etcetera: The Essential Allium Cookbook” is bound to blow you away with its gorgeous photos and mouthwatering collection of recipes.
The book’s 100-plus recipes are arranged according to color and/or season.
First come the “keepers,” or the yellow, white and red storage onions one always has on hand. There also are chapters devoted to sweet onions; scallions and chives; shallots and leeks; pearl onions and button-shaped cipollini; and the fleeting “early bird” ramps, spring onions and green garlic/garlic scapes.
Some of the recipes use alliums in supporting roles, such as the leeks that team up with fresh dill and feta in a creamy spring tart. Others allow onions to boldly headline — for instance, grilled as a taco filling or fried with a bit of chile, curry and cassava flour into a golden, crispy fritter.
How did Winslow go from amateur eater to cookbook author? Her parents both were teachers, so it wasn’t a reach to consider a career in journalism when she graduated from the University of Virginia in the mid1990s.
She took a summer job after college as a cook at a ranch in the wilds of Wyoming, but that was more for fun than professional development. It wasn’t until she followed some fellow UVAers to Santa Fe, that she turned to writing.
Her friends eventually all moved away, but Winslow stayed on, taking a job as an arts editor with a weekly newspaper. Ambrosino just happened to be the staff photographer, and well, you know where that goes.
In 2003, the couple headed back East, first to Philly and later to New York City. A sabbatical in Sicily produced their first cookbook in 2012, “Coming Home to Sicily,” and sowed the seeds for “Onions Etcetera.”
For such a common vegetable, “there’s so many things you can do with it,” she says.
CURRIED ONION FRITTERS WITH MINT RAITA Makes about 16 fritters
FOR RAITA 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 small cucumbers, such as Persian, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR FRITTERS 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon cayenne Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chickpea flour (I used cassava flour) 1 large egg, lightly beaten Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
Make raita: Combine yogurt, cucumbers and mint in small bowl. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make fritters: Combine onions, chilies and cilantro in large bowl. Add curry powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper and toss everything together until well combined. Sprinkle chickpea flour over onion mixture, add egg and mix together gently so everything is lightly coated.
Heat about ½ inch oil in heavy skillet over moderately high heat. While oil heats up, line a cooling sheet or platter with paper towels. When oil is hot and shimmering, use two forks to scoop up about 2 tablespoons of onion mixture. Drop mixture into hot oil, pressing down lightly so it spreads out a bit. Some of the onions will straggle out, which is totally fine — these bits become extra crunch.
Fry the fritters until deep golden brown on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and continue to fry 2 minutes more. Transfer fritters to paper towels to drain, and scoop out any floating bits from oil before frying another batch.
Eat fritters while hot, dabbed with a spoonful of raita.
GRILLED ONION TACOS Makes 12 tacos
4 sweet onions 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon salt and several grinds black pepper
12 good-quality corn tortillas
½ cup crumbled queso fresco
Bottled tomatillo salsa, for serving
Preheat grill over moderately high heat; alternatively, use a stovetop grill pan.
Cut onions crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Keeping the sliced rings intact, threw them onto skewers. (If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.) Stir together olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush mixture over skewered onions.
Grill onions until softened and charred in spots, flipping occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to plate and cover to keep warm.
Lay tortillas over the grill and toast, turning once, until softened and blackened in spots, about 3 minutes total. Wrap tortillas in clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
To assemble tacos, slide onions off skewers. Fill each warm tortilla with a few onion rings, top with a spoonful of salsa and a generous scattering of crumbled queso fresco.
LEEK TART WITH FETA AND DILL Makes 1 tart
FOR DOUGH 1½ cups all-purpose flour Kosher salt 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water FOR FILLING 2 large leeks, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 large eggs ¾ cup Greek yogurt ½ cup crumbled feta 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill Freshly grated nutmeg
Make dough: Combine flour and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl and, using your hands or a pastry cutter, quickly work in butter until floury mixture is filled with pea-sized lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture and stir with hands or a fork to combine until dough just holds together. Add remaining water if necessary. Gather dough into a ball and flatten slightly, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to a couple of days.
Make tart: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough out lightly on floured surface into a generous round, about 11 inches in diameter. Fit into an 8- or 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom by loosely rolling dough around the rolling pin and then unfurling it over the pan. Trim edge, leaving a 1-inch overhang, then tuck overhanging dough into the pan, pressing it against sides to reinforce them. Prick base of tart all over with fork. Line a large sheet of parchment and fill with pie weights (or dried beans and rice). Bake for 15 minutes, then remove parchment and weights. Bake empty pastry shell for 10 minutes more; crust should be golden and set.
While pasty is baking, make filling: Combine leeks and olive oil in large skillet, season with ½ teaspoon salt and grinds of black pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Crack eggs into bowl and gently whisk until well combined. Whisk in yogurt, feta, dill and a grating of nutmeg. Scrape leeks into bowl and stir together. Set tart pan on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch leaks. Pour egg mixture into tart shell and bake until set and edges are golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.