Behold the Simple Comfort of Butter-Baked Onions
Onions are an active ingredient that is commonly used to impart either an aggressive astringency or a deeply developed umami to a dish. However, baked onions do neither, and they are still one of my favorite onions. Butter-baked onions are soft and sweet, with a brothy pungent taste, almost like French onion soup. This is a homely, cozy side dish that only needs three ingredients.
Traditionally, Vidalia is preferred for this preparation, but any soft or sweet onion will do. Stuff the peeled onions with a small center with butter and your favorite broth, then bake until tender. There is no charring or caramelization here – just humble, processed onions, tenderly cooked in the laziest complex butter. To make it you will need:
- 1 onion
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 cube of bouillon or 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon (any flavor other than grilled beef will add the essential vibes of French onion soup)
Cut off the root of the onion so that it stands up on its own, peel off the skin, then cut a large chunk from the top of the onion with a paring knife; you just need enough room for about one and a half tablespoons of ingredients.
Mix oil and broth, then put in a new home.
Wrap the onion in foil so that it looks like a metal onion.
Place the small bag in a 350-degree oven for 60-70 minutes, until soft and elastic.
Slice it up and watch the tender slices melt into a heap.
Baked onions can serve as a side dish on their own, but I’ve recently started adding them to any skillet sauce I make for dinner. Last night, after removing the frosting in the pork pan with a little almost oxidized vermouth, I added the onion (and its bouillon juices) to the pan – and guys, this is a step I will definitely repeat.