Australian Onions: The Ultimate Secret Ingredient for Romantic Homemade Meals
There is absolutely no question that preparing a meal for your significant other represents a contemporary expression of affection. When it comes to crafting a homemade feast, one straightforward ingredient dramatically enhances the aroma the instant you step through the door: Australian onions! Consequently, the next occasion you desire to cook an impressive meal for your beloved, you need search no further than these delicious recipes.
Three Recipes Demonstrating Onions Are the Ultimate Secret Ingredient
Credit: The Morning Show
Creamy Baked Whole Onions (Brown Onions)
Whole onions are initially roasted until they achieve a light caramelization, then baked a second time in cream alongside thyme, cheese, and butter until they reach a meltingly tender consistency. The final product is a rich, golden dish featuring soft, spoon-cut onions crowned with a bubbling, savory top, completed with parsley for a refreshing finish.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
- 6–8 medium brown onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Smoked paprika
- 1½ cups cream
- 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Gruyère
- 30 g butter, cut into small cubes
- Chopped parsley, to finish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- Peel the onions and trim just the tops and bottoms, keeping them whole.
- Place the onions in a baking dish (25cm tray), drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the tops begin to lightly brown.
- Remove from the oven and pour the cream around the onions. Sprinkle over the thyme, scatter with cheese and dot with butter.
- Return to the oven and bake uncovered for a further 25–30 minutes, until the onions are completely tender and the top is golden and bubbling.
- Finish with chopped parsley before serving.
Mary’s Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 large brown onions, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 kilo mince of choice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bottle tomato passata
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 bay leaves
- 500 ml water or stock
- Serve with spaghetti or fettuccini
Method
- Add your olive oil and onions to a saucepan. Cook on medium to low heat for about ten minutes until onions become translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for a few minutes.
- Add mince meat and turn the heat up a little, cook until no pink remains.
- Add oregano, allspice, salt and pepper.
- Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the bottle of tomato passata and cook for about three minutes.
- Add bay leaves and stock or water and simmer for about two hours.
- Serve with spaghetti or fettuccini.
NOTE: 1 cup of red wine is optional. Add wine just after browning the meat and cook for about three minutes.
Onion Tarts for Valentine’s Day
Cooked in a heart-shaped tart tin, these tarts are fully enclosed in pastry, making them a perfect romantic treat.
Ingredients
- 3-4 small red onions
- 1 packet puff pastry
- 1 cup sharp cheese, your choice: pecorino, Parmesan, Gruyère
- 40 grams butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 teaspoons balsamic glaze
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Salt & pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Line a tray with parchment paper.
- Melt butter in a large frying pan, cook until butter begins to bubble.
- Add your sliced onions (around 1cm thick) and cook until they begin to slightly soften, turning them around.
- Add your sugar and balsamic glaze.
- Add salt and dried thyme.
- Set aside to cool for a while.
- Roll out puff pastry and use small heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut an even number of hearts (one base and one lid per puff).
- Place half of the pastry hearts onto the prepared baking tray.
- Top each pastry heart with a portion of the cooled onions, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Add cheese on top of the onions.
- Cover each mound with a second pastry heart.
- Press the edges gently (or crimp with a fork) to fully seal the pastry.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes until browned.
