January Pantry Essential? Onions
By Gabriella Vigoreaux
Considering that onions are the backbone of most savory recipes, you’d think most people would have mastered how to shop for and prepare them by now. As we found out in a recent pitch meeting at Epicurious HQ, that’s just not the case.
It all started with one question: “What the heck is a ‘small onion’ anyway?” Recipes constantly refer to using a “small” onion (or a medium or large-sized one) and it’s not really clear what that means, exactly. Then, more questions: What onions are the best for different dishes? How do you pick a good onion? How do you store them?
The simple onion had unleashed a slew of onion-related inquiries. And now, some answers.
Size matters. Recipes call for different sizes for a reason. If a small onion is called for and you use a large one, the onion flavor might permeate and overpower the rest of your ingredients. So, some size guidelines: Think of a small onion as being the size of a lemon or 1/2 cup chopped onion; a medium onion is about the size of a tangerine or 1 cup chopped onion; a large onion is comparable to an orange or 1 1/2 cups chopped onion.
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Keep it fresh. You want a firm, heavy onion. If it has soft spots or has a strong odor, the onion is past its peak.
Know your types. There are so many onion varieties out there, but you should definitely know the main ones:
Yellow onions, sometimes labeled Spanish onions, are the most versatile. They are mellow when cooked, which makes them perfect for soups, stews, and sauces.
White onions are sweeter than yellow onions, sharp, and juicy. Because they have a bit of bite to them, they go well in spicy dishes, like Mexican food.
Red onions are the sweetest which makes them the best for raw consumption, like in salads, burgers, or for pickling.
Sweet onions (Vidalias and Mauis) are super sweet and juicy as their name suggests. They are particularly good on burgers and onion rings.
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Green onions, or scallions, are very mild even when eaten raw. They make a great garnish for soups and noodles dishes, and they are commonly used in Asian recipes
Store them properly. Onions can keep for up to two weeks in a cool, dark place. If you bought a large onion when your recipes called for a small, use however much you need, and wrap the remaining onion in plastic wrap (or store it in a plastic baggie) to keep in the refrigerator for a later use.
And, just like that, all of our onion queries were answered.
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Breakfast of Champions: Creating the Ultimate Egg Sandwich
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photo: Grant Cornett
