RED ONION BLOOMS

Red Onion Blooms

These roasted blooms just might be the prettiest dish in this book. Inspired by a recipe from chef Laurent Tourondel, they are also one of the simplest and most delicious. Serve the blossoms alone with some crusty bread as a statement piece, or place them atop a steak or salad and drizzle their tangy juices over everything.

Ingredients

6 medium red onions

6 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Onions Etcetera

by Kate Winslow and Guy Ambrosino

Directions

Heat the oven to 425°F. Using a sharp knife, trim ¼ inch off the top of each onion. Trim the root, but leave it intact. Peel the onions then cut each one lengthwise into eighths, stopping about ½ inch from the bottom so the onion stays intact.

Lay a large square of heavy-duty foil on a shallow bowl. Put 1 onion, root end down, on top of the foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon each of the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, then season well with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil and pinch the edges to seal the packet. Repeat with the remaining onions to make 6 packets.

Place the wrapped onions on a sheet pan and roast until the onions are tender when pierced with a skewer, 25 to 30 minutes. Unwrap the onions and let them cool slightly before carefully transferring them to plates. They will open naturally into a flower shape. Drizzle any of the juices that have collected in the foil over the onions. Season with a bit more salt and pepper and serve warm.