Baked Onions, Porcini, and Cream
These are the onions to have alongside a few slices of rare roast beef. The marriage of flavors is superb. If they are to be truly tender and silky soft, it is crucial to take them as far as you dare in the pre-cooking stage, before you scoop out the center and stuff them. They need to be boiled for a good half an hour, depending, of course, on their size. Any layers that are not supple and easy to squash between your finger and thumb should be discarded. There is no reason why these onions with their mushroomy, creamy filling couldn’t be served as a main dish. You would need two each, I think, and maybe some noodles, wide ones such as pappardelle, on the side, tossed in a little melted butter and black pepper.
Recipe information
Yield
enough for 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the porcini in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Peel the onions, then boil them in deep, salted water for about thirty minutes, until they are tender and the layers will come apart when pulled. They mustn’t be hard in the middle. Drain them, slice the top off each one to give a flat edge, then put them in a small ovenproof baking dish, one in which they will fit snugly. Using a teaspoon, scoop out most of the inside of each onion without splitting the sides and base.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Chop half of the scooped-out insides (you can discard the other half, you won’t need it) and warm it with the butter and crushed garlic in a small, shallow pan. Drain and chop the porcini, pull the thyme leaves off their twigs, and chop them finely, then add both porcini and leaves to the onions and continue cooking, stirring from time to time. As the onions continue to soften and color and the mixture starts to smell interesting, pour in the cream, season with salt and black pepper, and remove from the heat.
Step 3
Stir in most of the grated cheese, then spoon the stuffing into the hollows of the onions. Add the remaining cheese on top and bake for twenty minutes, until bubbling.
