Celebrate the staples ❢ alliums

WHILE CAMPING IN ITALY we got a large bag of brown onions from a market in Modena and as the summer went on and the budget grew smaller, we started to get creative with them. We’d cook them with vinegar and oil to be eaten on toast or in pasta or straight from the jar. We’d crisp them up, char them, pickle them, roast them whole. The whole allium family deserves a bit more time in the limelight, so here we’re celebrating them with some favourite summer dishes.

1 BARBECUED SPRING ONIONS WITH BUTTER & SOFT-BOILED

EGGS Grill whole spring onions over a high heat until slightly blackened on the outside and soft on the inside. Gently heat a few tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and cook until the butter begins to brown. Remove from the heat and add the zest of one lemon and a sprinkling of toasted cumin or fennel seeds. Toss the spring onions in butter and serve with soft-boiled eggs, a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of sea salt and a handful of flat-leafed parsley.

2 CONFIT GARLIC & BUTTER BEAN

SPREAD Put 5 peeled cloves of garlic in a small pan with approx ½ cup olive oil. Bring the oil to a very gentle simmer, then cook the garlic on low for 35-40 minutes until tender. Place the garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons of their oil in a food processor with two drained tins of butter beans, ¼ cup of freshly chopped tarragon or parsley, juice of one lemon and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Whizz until a smooth paste has formed. Serve spread on toasted bread, with crackers or as a dip.

3 WHOLE ROASTED ONIONS WITH

ROSEMARY & VINEGAR Make a cross-shaped cut along the top of 8-10 brown onions (keep their skins on). Place the onions in a large roasting tray with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkle of sea salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes at 190°C until brown on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove from the heat and set aside. Roughly chop 2 sprigs of rosemary leaves and place in a small frying pan with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Heat until the rosemary begins to sizzle, remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for a few minutes. Whisk 2 tablespoons of malt or apple cider vinegar into the rosemary oil and pour over the roasted onions. These onions make a lovely side dish, they go on a cheese platter, in burgers or flatbreads or on their own with a piece of crusty bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. They’ll keep in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days.

4 FLAKY SPRING ONION PANCAKES

Place 2 cups of flour in a mixing bowl with a teaspoon of salt. Slowly pour water into the flour, while mixing, until you have a workable dough. Knead for 8 minutes. The quantities of water don’t matter hugely here – what’s important is that you can handle the dough without it being too sticky as you are going to roll it out quite thinly. Once the dough is kneaded, you can cover and rest until you need it, or use it straight away. Divide it into equal pieces – 6 pieces should make small-medium pancakes. Form each piece into a ball and roll into a thin sheet on a floured surface. Brush with peanut oil and scatter finely sliced spring onions on the oiled surface. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt before rolling the flattened dough tightly into a long worm. Roll that worm on itself so it resembles a tight spiral. Now gently press the spiral into a flattened pancake and fry in a dry pan on a medium heat.