Baked stuffed onions ready to eat

Preparation Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 6 people

I came across this wonderful dish whilst I was in Venice this summer. I have adapted it with my favourite filling combination. Serve one onion as a starter and 2 for a vegetarian main course. It will work using red onions but the large white onions look more attractive and have a larger cavity to use for filling.

To alter the flavour but to maintain the tastes of Italy vary the filling by adding tomatoes, capers, anchovies and pine nuts. Make canapés with the same filling by adding it to small onions. These are great served in rows on fancy plates.

Onions are part of numerous dishes - in fact it is hard to find a savoury recipe that does not begin with 'sauté the onions' They do add a distinctive flavour to the dish. Don't peel them in advance as they loose their flavour quickly particularly red onions.

There are endless old wives tales that offer the best advice to prevent crying during cutting. I do suggest cutting them near an open window and using a very sharp knife so the task is completed as soon as possible. A blunt knife is a dangerous knife as it can slip.

Can be parev
Can be made in advance

Ingredients

6 large white onions - peeled - keeping the onion whole
1 pound tin Borlotti beans - drained and rinsed
4 slices bread
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic - peeled
2 tablespoons olives - pitted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-tablespoons olive oil
Garnish

2 cups argula leaves
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Method

1) Pre-heat the oven to 400ºC.
2) Place the whole onions in a large saucepan of water. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until soft.
3) Whizz the bread, parsley and garlic in the food processor until well combined. Add the borlotti beans and olives and pulse gently to keep their texture. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4) Drain the onions and cut in half horizontally. Carefully remove the inner rings.
5) Spoon the filling in to the prepared cavities.
6) Sprinkle with olive oil and bake for 1 hour.

To serve the stylish way:
Mix the argula leaves with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place the cooked onion to the side of the salad and serve immediately.