Photo by Barbara Damrosch
These apple-stuffed onions make a great brunch companion or a side to roasted pork.
6 servings SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 6 medium onions, peeled
- 2 tbsp butter, plus extra for smearing the dish
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, about 1-1/2 cups
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice off the bottom of each onion so it sits upright but still holds together at the base. Then, slice off about a quarter of the top and discard or save for another use.
- Scoop out the inside of the onion, leaving 2 layers of the outer wall, to make a little bowl. A melon baller is the best tool for this job, but a curved, serrated grapefruit knife or even just a paring knife and small spoon will also work. Don’t worry if you puncture the bottom; it will still hold the stuffing.
- After you’ve scooped out all the onions, chop what you’ve removed.
- Melt the butter in a small pan and add 1 cup of the chopped onions, 1-1/2 cups of the chopped apple, and the salt, nutmeg, and thyme.
- Stir over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture is soft.
- Fill the onion bowls, mounding the tops, and set them in a small, buttered baking dish.
- Pour 1/2 inch of water into the dish and bake until the sides of the onion bowls have softened and the filling has browned a bit (about 45 minutes).
- Serve these baked stuffed onions hot or warm as a side dish or a condiment.
The first time I made this sweet-and-savory stuffed onion recipe, it was to jazz up a simple brunch of bacon and eggs. Its fruitiness complements the fattiness of any pork dish, either served as a garnish or cooked alongside the meat in a roasting pan.
