Herb Roasted Onions - A Really Good Side

I use more onions than people would think possible. In fact I find the idea of cooking without them completely mystifying (unless life was simply one big dessert table). When my children were little, they took a stand on onions declaring that they didn't like them - of course without realising that a lot of their family favourites began with a soffritto of onions and garlic before anything else was added. Now they are older and will happily eat onions as a side dish, so when I saw this week's Barefoot Challenge, I was confident it would be a winner. And I was right.

Chosen by Kelly from Baking With The Boys, these onions are really good. I made them pretty much exactly as Ina suggested, although I popped in an extra brown onion and I forgot the parsley sprinkle at the end. It took only 30 mins to cook - possibly because I was a bit haphazard with my chopping and didn't always cut through the root, so some pieces were cooking individually instead of in wedges. I loved the warm mustard flavour and the way it married with the onions. Because I was stuck for inspiration on what to serve with them, I referred to Ina Garten's suggestion in "Barefoot Contessa at Home", and served Veal Piccata, and an avocado and tomato salad. It was all delicious. And the leftovers were just as good the next night with roast chicken. Thanks Kelly for the excellent choice.

Herb Roasted Onions

from "Barefoot Contessa at Home" by Ina Garten

2 red onions
1 yellow onion
2 tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tbl minced fresh thyme leaves
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onion. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onion in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions once during cooking. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.