Red onions

How to store Red onions

Keep red onions cool and dry, preferably somewhere with a bit of air movement so they can breathe. They should last a few weeks.

Prep & Cooking tips

Peel as you would any normal onion. They are quicker to peel and slice if topped, tailed and halved first. Any trimmings are a welcome addition to a stock pot. Tricks to avoid tears? Learn to live with the momentary discomfort! Any crazy contraptions or contortions will surely increase your risk of detaching a digit.

Can be sliced thinly and eaten raw or slow cooked until sweet, dark and tangled. Try roasting in wedges or even baking whole until meltingly tender and collapsing. They slightly darken anything they are cooked in, so are best used for dark tomato/red wine based sauces or stews, rather than something light and clear.

Easy ideas

1. Lightly pickled

A simple way to temper their pungency is to finely slice the onion and steep it in red wine vinegar and a little brown sugar for at least half an hour. The raw edge will be softened and the slices turned a bright pink. Add the vinegar to salad dressings.

2. Baked whole

Cut a deep cross into each onion, almost down to the root but not quite. Force some softened butter and a few sprigs of thyme into the cut. Rub the onion with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place your onions into a snug fitting roasting tray, add a dash of water, cover well with foil and bake at 200˚C for 40 mins before removing the cover and finishing for another 10 mins.

3. Roasted in rings

Peel away the skins, cut into 1cm thick discs. Roast with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper until softened. Break into individual rings before using.