The vegetable that really epitomizes Barnsley and my youth is onion. Pickling onions, to be precise. Every year at the start of the season the Wilkinson men, Dad and Grandad Tom, would pickle a huge batch for the year. And, I have to say, that this year’s batch we made at Pope Joan would have made them both proud.
RECIPES
ROASTED SCALLIONS WITH ROASTED PORK LOIN
You may already know that there are many different types of onion. Here are just a few: shallot, scallion, salad onion, red (or Spanish) onion, white, brown, pickling … The list just goes on, and that’s not even touching on the different variations of varieties, such as shallots and red salad onions.
Eat them raw, sautéed, pickled, baked, braised or in soup. As the star of the dish or to complement, their range of uses is so diverse. Of all the vegetables they are the only ones that go with all fishes, all meats and all seafood. Amazing.
They are also the universal vegetable, an integral base to just about every cuisine the world over. Their use extends back thousands of years—the ancient Egyptians worshipped them as a symbol of eternity, represented by their repetitive ring structure—and they have been praised and used both medicinally and culinarily by the Greeks, Romans and Indians since time immemorial.
However, you really need to put some thought into it and make sure you choose your onion variety wisely to complement what you are cooking it with. For example, shallot and scallions have very delicate flavors. For sweetness, choose white. For something more robust, choose brown.
Personally, I tend to primarily use white onions. Even if I am just making a stew or soup, I will never use brown onions. Yes, they are cheaper but they have a different perfume and taste. To me brown onions impart a musty, earthy flavor, whereas, the white onion is the lady of the onion family. By comparison, she is perfumed, delicate, flavorsome and sweet.
So why do they make you cry? Well, enough people have looked into why it happens and there are enough old wives’ tales out there as to how to prevent it—soak them in water first, breathe through your mouth … My advice is: “Toughen up princess and just deal with it!” Peeling onions is always going to make you cry. If they’re old and starting to ferment, they are going to make you cry. If they’re young and fresh out of the ground, they’re going to make you cry. Somewhere in the middle of the two they’re not too bad, but just have a good cry, anyway.
I really should have included the Wilkinson pickling recipe, but if you really want to have a go at pickling them, just have a look through any old English or CWA cookbook and you’ll find a recipe just as good. Here are some tips for you to get a great result:
The salting process is the most important part of the preparation. Onions need three days in salted water. Check daily that they remain submerged (weigh down with a plate if necessary). After three days, drain and wash them well.
For the vinegar, most recipes ask for straight malt vinegar, but I like to mix in white or apple cider or some other variety to liven things up. Bring the vinegar to the boil, then pour over the onions.
And last, but not least, the spices. You need mace, lots of black peppercorns, a little chili (dried is preferable), and one secret spice, which I really can’t tell you or my father will kill me… Okay, okay, it’s bay leaf.
Pickle them for a good three or four months before eating—the longer the better really.
If you want to try to grow your own onions and you haven’t got a lot of space, try growing scallions from seed. You can plant them quite close together and they will do well in a pot or window box. If you want to try larger onions, red or white, I have found that the best results come from letting them shoot up and flower. When the flowers have gone, that is when the bulb underneath is ready to be harvested. Some people may say that is incorrect, but that is the way I’ve always grown them as I’ve found, if you take them out too early, the middle layers will still be green and will be immature in taste.
And as for storage, remember: they don’t need to go in the fridge. Keep onions in a cool, dry place, like the bottom of your pantry. Also, leave the skins on until you’re ready to use them.
BARNSLEY ONION SOUP
MAKES 4 NICE BIG BOWLS OF SOUP
I’m going to tell you a beautiful food story about my Mum’s onion soup. She used to grow the onions herself in a small allotment near our house and the variety is one I have never heard of before or ever again. It seems it was an old heirloom variety that has just been kept in my family. The recipe I’m about to give you has been passed down for generations through my brood … Okay, that’s a massive lie. For the record, Mum did make a great onion soup (and onion sauce to go with calf’s liver and bacon), but this soup is just me playing around with the traditional French version—and having a go at the Frenchies at the same time. Stuff the French and their thinking that they invented the whole cuisine of the world. (Okay, okay, they did invent a lot and I do love them.) So I’m naming this soup after my hometown, made by a Barnsley fella in Australia with a French recipe.
⅔ CUP OLIVE OIL
3½ TABLESPOONS BUTTER
4 SMALL WHITE ONIONS, HALVED AND SLICED
4 SMALL RED ONIONS, HALVED AND SLICED
4 GARLIC CLOVES, SLICED
5 THICK-CUT SLICES SMOKED BACON, SLICED (OMIT IF VEGETARIAN)
½ CUP BRANDY
¼ CUP PORT
¾ CUP WHITE WINE
⅓ CUP RED WINE
¼ CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
8 CUPS HAM BROTH, VEGETABLE BROTH (SEE RECIPE) OR JUST PLAIN OLD WATER
2 TABLESPOONS ITALIAN PARSLEY LEAVES, CHOPPED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Heat a saucepan (measuring 9½ inches in diameter by 6¼ inches deep) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add both types of onion, the garlic and bacon and cook for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown. Add the brandy and port, strike a match and carefully flame the alcohol. Once the flame has gone, add both the wines and cook until reduced by half.
Turn down the heat to low-medium and stir in the flour until there are no lumps. Add the broth, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for 50–60 minutes or until the soup is a thick broth consistency. To finish, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with some bread.
A little tip This recipe also makes a lovely sauce for sausages, broiled liver and kidneys, chicken, pork and beef. All you have to do is reduce the liquid until a sauce consistency or that of thin gravy.
NETTLE & GREEN HERB SOUP WITH POACHED QUAIL EGG, SCALLOP & PANCETTA
SERVES 2
This soup is lovely on its own, but it does taste mighty fine with the added garnishes. If poaching quail eggs sounds too finicky, then regular hen eggs will do just fine.
⅓ CUP WHITE WINE (I RECOMMEND A SWEETER STYLE RIESLING)
⅓ CUP DRY VERMOUTH (I LIKE TO USE NOILLY PRAT OR YOU CAN JUST ADD MORE WINE)
2 GARLIC CLOVES, SLICED
1 LARGE SHALLOT, SLICED
1 EXTRA LARGE BUNCH OF ITALIAN PARSLEY, LEAVES PICKED AND STALKS RESERVED
1 EXTRA LARGE BUNCH OF WATERCRESS, LEAVES PICKED AND STALKS RESERVED
1 LARGE BUNCH NETTLES, LEAVES PICKED AND WASHED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
3 TABLESPOONS WHITE VINEGAR
4 QUAIL EGGS (PLUS A FEW EXTRA JUST IN CASE SOME BREAK)
1¾ OUNCES PANCETTA, CUT INTO LARDONS
4 LARGE SCALLOPS
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
JUICE OF ½ LEMON
For the nettle and green herb soup, first make a vegetable broth. Fill a 10-cup capacity saucepan with 4 cups of water and add the wine, vermouth, garlic, shallot and parsley and watercress stalks. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium and cook for about 40 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups. Take off the heat and strain the broth into a heatproof blender. Discard the solids (see Notes).
Wash the same pan and bring 6 cups of hot salted water to the boil. Cook the nettle and herbs for 7–8 minutes. Drain, add to the blender and blitz until a smooth purée (see Notes). Pass through a fine strainer, check the seasoning and if the soup is too thick, thin it out with a little water. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, prepare the garnishes to serve. Now, me giving you my method to poach quail eggs could make me look a little like a cowboy (an industry term for a “corner cutter” or cheat) to my peers but, hey, stuff ’em. My method makes the perfect poached quail eggs (but it doesn’t work for regular hen eggs). Take two small dariole molds (also known as baba au rhum molds) and place half of the vinegar in each. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan half-filled with water to the boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Now carefully crack 2 quail eggs into each mold. I find it easier to crack through the shell if you use a serrated knife. Let the eggs stand in the vinegar for 30 seconds.
With a spoon, stir the water counter-clockwise, then tip in the eggs and vinegar and poach for 1–1½ minutes or until the whites are cooked but the yolks still oozy. Remove with a slotted spoon and pat dry on a tea towel.
Heat a small skillet over low heat and cook the pancetta until crispy (there’s no need to add any oil). Drain off any fat and divide the pancetta between bowls.
Cut each scallop into four, season with salt and pepper and lemon juice and allow to marinate for 1 minute, then divide among the bowls. Place a poached quail egg in each bowl.
Place a bowl in front of your guests and serve the hot soup in a jug or soup terrine in the middle of the table for people to pour or ladle into the bowls themselves.
Notes The broth base for this soup is delicious and you can use it whenever vegetable broth is called for.
Be careful when blitzing hot mixtures in a blender. Always put a tea towel over the lid and, while holding down the lid, begin processing on low speed, working your way up. Many a time I have seen soup end up on the roof and on people’s clothes. That aside, it can be dangerous and does hurt when hot liquids splash over your face.
ROASTED SCALLIONS WITH ROASTED PORK LOIN
SERVES 4 (WITH LEFTOVERS) OR 6
This is such a simple way to cook onions and can be done for any type, but I love the sweetness of cooked scallions with roasted pork. I would recommend the baked fennel, bread crumbs and herbs (see recipe) as a side. This is a good amount of pork to serve four with a generous amount left over for the next few days’ lunch and dinner. Tell me, who doesn’t love a cold roast pork sandwich?
3 POUNDS 5 OUNCES PORK LOIN, SKIN FINELY SCORED
1 TABLESPOON SEA SALT
1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
6 LARGE SCALLIONS, CUT IN HALF (THERE’S NO NEED FOR PEELING)
3 TABLESPOONS SUPERFINE SUGAR
3 TABLESPOONS RED WINE VINEGAR
3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
For the roasted pork loin, preheat the oven to 500°F.
Now, when buying your pork from the butcher, make sure he finely scores the skin for you. If you’ve got a piece that’s not scored well, all you need is a new razor blade (the old school type) and carefully slice the pork skin at ½ inch intervals. Place in a roasting tray, scatter over the salt and massage it into the skin. Set aside for 10–15 minutes (and have that glass of wine we talked about).
Roast the pork for 1 hour, turning the tray 90 degrees every 15 minutes. After 1 hour, turn down the oven temperature to 325°F and continue roasting for 10–20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the roasted scallions, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, then the onion halves, cut side down, and cook for 2–3 minutes or until golden. Add the sugar and cook until a light caramel, shaking the pan occasionally. Add the vinegar and reduce to a glaze. Add the butter and ⅔ cup of water and stand back in case she spits. Turn down the heat and gently cook, adding a little more water if needed. After 15–20 minutes the onion should be soft. Turn the halves over and carefully remove from the pan. Take off the tough outer layers of the onions to serve.
Take the pork out of the oven and insert a metal skewer through the meat to test if it’s ready; if the middle of the skewer is hot, then the pork is done. By this stage, you should now have the best crackling in town too. Place the pork on a plate and set aside to rest for 10–15 minutes, then slice and serve with the onions.
LIGHTLY PICKLED SHALLOTS
I don’t know about you but for me a typical Sunday lunch when I was growing up consisted of some form of meat with its traditional side: chicken with sage stuffing, pork with apple sauce, lamb with mint sauce or beef with picked sliced red onions. Now if I had been served this version of picked onions back then, I would have jumped for joy—not that the onions served to me when I was young were bad … It’s only that these are a cracker, and can be used for all types of things. I like to add them to any type of leaf salad, mix them through any type of grain, serve them with poached or steamed fish, and they also make a great addition to a salad sandwich.
⅓ CUP RICE WINE VINEGAR
⅓ CUP APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
⅔ CUP SUPERFINE SUGAR
1 TEASPOON FINE SEA SALT
4 SHALLOTS, THINLY SLICED INTO RINGS AND SEPARATED
Place ⅔ cup of water, both the vinegars, the sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then take off the heat. Cool to room temperature and chill.
Place the shallot in a container and pour over the pickling liquid. They are best enjoyed fresh but they will keep for a few days in the fridge.
A little cheat’s tip Add a nip of grenadine to the pickling liquid to dye the shallots an amazing pale pink color.
