Onion Joys

The onion can be sauteed, grilled, roasted, braised, pickled, stuffed, deep-fried and cooked into a savory jam. It is the workhorse vegetable in the kitchen and generally very easy to prepare, inexpensive and good to eat.

Onions should be firm and fresh-smelling with dry papery skins. Avoid those that are sprouting or have a sooty appearance (wash them well if you’ve no choice), look greenish or have woody-looking stems. Remove any sprouts inside. Freshly harvested onions are shiny and moist-looking and haven’t formed their papery skins. They’re frequently mild and sweet in spite of their initial sulfur bite.

Store onions in a cool, dry place where there’s plenty of air circulating around them, even your counter. Keep onions far from potatoes; they’re incompatible and cause each other to spoil.

To keep from crying when you cut onions, use a very sharp knife and/or chill them in a bowl of cold water for 15 to 30 minutes before cutting. Always wrap cut onions well so their smell doesn’t permeate your butter and cheese: Fats absorb odors.

Save leftovers. Chopped onions keep for a day or two in a sealed container; having some on hand is always a great convenience when it’s time to make dinner.

An average medium yellow or white onion weighs between 4 and 6 ounces and yields approximately one cup sliced or chopped. Large onions can weigh up to a pound; smaller ones as little as 2 or 3 ounces. Onions can cook down to half--or less--of their volume, depending on how long they cook. As a vegetable course, allow one pound of onions for three to four servings.

This story and the recipes are excerpted from Madison’s most recent book “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” (Broadway Books, 1997).

BRAISED BOILING ONIONS OR SHALLOTS (UNDER AN HOUR; LOW-FAT COOKING)

1 pound boiling onions, cipolline, shallots or mixture

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

2 small bay leaves

2 sprigs thyme

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth

Blanch onions in boiling water 2 minutes, drain and remove outer skin. If using shallots, peel raw and pull apart at natural divisions.

Melt butter in skillet with bay leaves and thyme. Add onions and sugar and cook over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until browned in places, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add wine. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Check once or twice during cooking, and if pan is dry, add few tablespoons water. Remove lid and reduce any remaining juices to syrupy glaze.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings:

74 calories; 239 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.33 gram fiber.

ROASTED ONIONS ON A BED OF HERBS

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large onions, halved

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 sprigs sage

4 sprigs thyme

1 cup dry white wine or water

Heat butter and oil in wide skillet. Add onions, cut side down, and cook over medium-high heat until well browned, about 15 minutes. After about 8 minutes, switch onions on outside of pan with those in middle because onions on outside of pan usually take longer to cook. When browned, turn onions over and cook on curved side few minutes longer. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Line bottom of 10-inch earthenware dish (such as round Spanish casserole) with sage and thyme sprigs. Place onions, browned side up, on herbs. Pour in wine and cover with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

6 servings. Each serving:

122 calories; 93 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.33 gram fiber.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

1/4 cup butter

3 pounds onions, sliced 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick

4 thyme sprigs

Salt

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

Freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until it colors slightly. Stir in onions and thyme and cook, covered, until onions turn limp and reduce in volume, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Toss onions with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and cook, covered, 20 minutes.

Add wine. Cover and cook, stirring every 20 minutes, until onions begin to brown and you can hear them sizzle, about 1 hour. Begin stirring more frequently to prevent burning. When onions are rich golden brown, stir in vinegar and turn off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

About 3 cups. Each 1/2-cup serving:

159 calories; 234 mg sodium; 21 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1 gram fiber.