We’ve all been there. Onions are on sale! Yaaaaay! Then you get home with a mondo bag of onions and reality sets in. What on earth am I going to do with all of these onions?!? Well, friends, fret not. We have just the thing for you. Baked onions. If you’ve never tried these lovelies, you’re in for a treat. This particular version takes its inspiration from a recipe that appeared in Food & Wine Magazine as Baked Onions with Fennel Breadcrumbs.
Wanting to tweak it and make a gluten free, vegetarian vegan version, vegetable stock was used instead of chicken stock (easy), adding a splash of white wine vinegar and a few sprigs of thyme to punch up the flavors. Then the hunt was on for a reasonable substitute for the panko breadcrumbs (not so easy). It’s not that there’s no such thing as gluten free panko breadcrumbs, but if you’re actually able to find them, you’ll praaah-bably have to take out a small personal loan to be able to afford them, so “No.”
Taking inspiration from the genius “potato flakes in place of bread crumbs” hack from the Chicken Meatballs, Kyle figured that potato chips would be a great substitute for the crunchy panko topping. The swap was, of course, equally genius and has set off a chain reaction of “what if”s regarding future uses of potato chip “breadcrumbs”. Think crunchy topping for gluten free baked mac & cheese, or breading for fried chicken or fish and chips. Just a heads up, those are likely to pop up as future posts, because, um, “Yes, please.”
He used thick-cut kettle cooked Sea Salt and Pepper potato chips to keep the flavors straightforward. Crumbled up with the crushed fennel seeds, they were the perfect topping. They browned and crisped up so beautifully, providing a wonderful, complementary texture and flavor to the buttery soft, sweet onions. Straightforward or not, that doesn’t mean that future iterations of this recipe won’t involve other chip flavors. (My vote goes to barbecue flavor, or sour cream and cheddar, btw. Can you imagine? Yowzers.)
Also, if you’re not a fan of fennel–as we know some of you aren’t–feel free to substitute other herbs or spice blends. Herbs de Provence would be spectacular, as would an Italian seasoning blend, or oregano, basil, or rosemary…whatever blows your dress up. Go for it. We’re all about adapting and experimenting when it comes to food. Of course, if you’ve been following along, you already know that.
However you choose to season them, these onions are a fantastic and easy side dish that will complement heavier winter dishes and go equally well with lighter summer fare, so you’ll be able to enjoy them year round. Additionally, you’ll never be at a loss for what to do with extra onions again. Ta-dah!
One note regarding the preparation that, sadly, has been learned from experience: When you’re flipping the baked onions over, use a spatula. I tried it once with tongs, and there were layers of cooked onion shooting everywhere. It looked like a card trick gone terribly wrong. Entertaining, yes, but it wasn’t worth the heartbreak. Save yourselves the pain. You’re welcome.
Adapted from Food & Wine.
- 3 medium onions, peeled and halved lengthwise, root ends left intact
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- Kosher salt
- 4 bay leaves
- 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ cup crushed thick-cut potato chips (about 1 cup uncrushed)
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Brush the onion halves with olive oil, season with salt and arrange cut side down in an ovenproof medium skillet. Scatter the bay leaves and thyme sprigs around the onions. Add the vegetable stock and vinegar. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 1½ hours, until the onions are very tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the fennel seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and let cool, then coarsely crush the seeds. Transfer to a small bowl and add the crushed potato chips.
- Carefully turn the onions cut side up in the skillet. Spoon the fennel-potato-chip crumbs on top and bake for about 15 minutes longer, until the crumbs are lightly browned and crisp. Discard the bay leaves and thyme and serve the onions hot or warm.
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