Wednesday, October 1, 2008

onions for dinner


They were just so cute, and I'd just seen the recipe for Balsamic Glazed Cippoline on Smitten Kitchen. Since Matt considers vinegar to be an essential food group, I knew I had to try it.

They cooked up nicely (though the peeling took a long while) and the sauce thickened (with the help of half a cup of spaghetti sauce—brilliant!) to a gloriously rich goo. I seared up a little steak, which we served on polenta with the onions and sauce on top.


The reduced vinegar sauce was velvety and delicious. Accenting the steak perfectly, it mixed with the juices and brought out a sweet tang in the dish, reminding me of demiglace or some other high-effort sauce.

By the end of the meal, though, we both were sort of onioned out. It was a lot of onions, no matter how cute and delicate they were. But I would make the sauce again—maybe with a mix of onions and mushrooms? Sweet and sour portobellos? On lamb? Or salmon, even?


Here is the recipe, adapted from Mario Batali by the amazing Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

8 comments:

ChichaJo said...

My husband and I consider onions to be an essential food group! So you can be sure I am taking note of this!

Reeni said...

I love how you served them. Delicious with the steak and polenta. I eat onions everyday; one of my most favorite things.

Unknown said...

where's the barbera? :)
I'd love to have that for dinner tonight! it looks like it might rain here in SF.
nice work

Unknown said...

last post was from www.hogfoodblog.com
this technology thing still baffles me..
happy eating

Rebecca said...

Wow, Maggie! That is one beautiful looking dish. :) Did you hear about the Batali goes to Spain show on PBS?

Maggie said...

I really like the Batali/Paltro/Bittman/that beautiful spanish actress show...though it may be a *tad* long winded. Makes me jealous—I've never been to spain!

shiv said...

ooooh, you'd love it.

maybe we should plan a field trip--pithy and cleaver on the road!

Joanna said...

Ooh, I saw these on Deb's blog and they looked so good, glad to see another version! Also, thanks for the comment on my blog - the slow roasted tomatoes are so worth it. I just discovered my favorite way to eat them this morning, they make a KILLER omelet! (with some chives and gruyere cheese... mmmmm...)