I’ve heard chefs refer to the red onion as being sweet.
Sorry chefs, but my palate definitely disagrees. To me, a raw red onion is
quite sharp to the point where I only enjoy it if it’s been marinated.
There is one – very simple - red onion recipe that I
enjoy so much, I could eat it by the bowlful, but that would be unladylike.
Whenever we’re at a Middle Eastern restaurant and the dish I ordered is served
with a red onion -sumac condiment, I’m overjoyed!
Marinated
Red Onions with Sumac
2 medium red
onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Italian
flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 1/2
tablespoons ground sumac, or to taste
1 tablespoon
lemon juice
1 tablespoon
extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Place sliced onions in a bowl. Pour enough very hot
water over the onions to cover. Allow to sit for about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a
colander. Place onions on paper towels in a single layer; pat to dry. (This step helps to lessen the sharpness of the onion.)
2. Place onions in a mixing bowl. Toss with remaining ingredients. Taste, and adjust
the seasonings if necessary. Allow the onions to sit for about 30 minutes before serving so flavors can blend. Best served at room temperature.
To Serve: This is a perfect accompaniment with your favorite kebab dish (chicken, lamb,
beef, pork, lule), burger, or grilled meat, poultry or fish.
If meat isn’t your thing, add the marinated red
onion-sumac to a salad, cooked potatoes, or a grain dish.
Does the first step (where you cover the onions with hot water) soften the onions or do they stay crisp? If the former, is it possible to do the same thing a different way, maybe by salting the onions?
ReplyDeleteThe onions remain crisp. Soaking them briefly in the warm water simply helps remove some of the sharp taste. The longer the marinated onions sit in the refrigerator, however, the softer they become. So, eat 'em up quickly!
DeleteOh cool. And it's lo-salt, too. Thanks for the info.
DeleteDoes it work with white onions? I don't have any red onions handy but plenty of white ones.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!
DeleteHi Robyn, made this recipe with chicken shish yesterday and they were delicious. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it!
Delete