_Ingredients._—6 large onions, 2 oz. of butter, salt and pepper to
taste, ½ pint of cream, 1 quart of stock. _Mode._—Chop the onions, put
them in the butter, stir them occasionally, but do not let them brown.
When tender, put the stock to them, and season; strain the soup, and
add the boiling cream. _Time._—½ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ per quart.
_Seasonable_ in winter. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.
ONION SOUP, Cheap.
_Ingredients._—8 middling-sized onions, 3 oz. of butter, a
tablespoonful of rice-flour, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful
of powdered sugar, thickening of butter and flour, 2 quarts of water.
_Mode._—Cut the onions small, put them into the stewpan with the
butter, and fry them well; mix the rice-flour smoothly with the water,
add the onions, seasoning, and sugar, and simmer till tender. Thicken
with butter and flour, and serve. _Time._—2 hours. _Average cost_,
4_d._ per quart. _Seasonable_ in winter. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.
ONIONS, Burnt, for Gravies.
_Ingredients._—½ lb. of onions, ½ pint of water, ½ lb. of moist sugar,
1/3 pint of vinegar. _Mode._—Peel and chop the onions fine, and put
them into a stewpan (not tinned), with the water; let them boil for
5 minutes, then add the sugar, and simmer gently until the mixture
becomes nearly black and throws out bubbles of smoke. Have ready the
above proportion of boiling vinegar, strain the liquor gradually to it,
and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until it is well incorporated.
When cold, bottle for use. _Time._—Altogether, 1 hour.
ONIONS, Pickled (a very simple Method, and exceedingly Good).
_Ingredients._—Pickling onions; to each quart of vinegar, 2
teaspoonfuls of allspice, 2 teaspoonfuls of whole black pepper.
_Mode._—Have the onions gathered when quite dry and ripe, and, with
the fingers, take off the thin outside skin; then, with a silver knife
(steel should not be used, as it spoils the colour of the onions),
remove one more skin, when the onion will look quite clear. Have ready
some very dry bottles or jars, and as fast as they are peeled, put them
in. Pour over sufficient cold vinegar to cover them, with pepper and
allspice in the above proportions, taking care that each jar has its
share of the latter ingredients. Tie down with bladder, and put them
in a dry place, and in a fortnight they will be fit for use. This is a
most simple recipe and very delicious, the onions being nice and crisp.
They should be eaten within 6 or 8 months after being done, as the
onions are liable to become soft. _Seasonable_ from the middle of July
to the end of August.
=ONIONS, Pickled.=
_Ingredients._—1 gallon of pickling onions, salt and water, milk; to
each ½ gallon of vinegar, 1 oz. of bruised ginger, ¼ tablespoonful of
cayenne, 1 oz. of allspice, 1 oz. of whole black pepper, ¼ oz. of whole
nutmeg bruised, 8 cloves, ¼ oz. of mace. _Mode._—Gather the onions,
which should not be too small, when they are quite dry and ripe; wipe
off the dirt, but do not pare them; make a strong solution of salt and
water, into which put the onions, and change this, morning and night,
for 3 days, and save the _last_ brine they were put in. Then take the
outside skin off, and put them into a tin saucepan capable of holding
them all, as they are always better done together. Now take equal
quantities of milk and the last salt and water the onions were in, and
pour this to them; to this add 2 large spoonfuls of salt, put them over
the fire, and watch them very attentively. Keep constantly turning the
onions about with a wooden skimmer, those at the bottom to the top,
and _vice versâ_; and let the milk and water run through the holes of
the skimmer. Remember, the onions must never boil, or, if they do,
they will be good for nothing; and they should be quite transparent.
Keep the onions stirred for a few minutes, and, in stirring them, be
particular not to break them. Then have ready a pan with a colander,
into which turn the onions to drain, covering them with a cloth to
keep in the steam. Place on a table an old cloth, 2 or 3 times double;
put the onions on it when quite hot, and over them an old piece of
blanket; cover this closely over them, to keep in the steam. Let them
remain till the next day, when they will be quite cold, and look yellow
and shrivelled; take off the shrivelled skins, when they should be
as white as snow. Put them into a pan, make a pickle of vinegar and
the remaining ingredients, boil all these up, and pour hot over the
onions in the pan. Cover very closely to keep in all the steam, and
let them stand till the following day, when they will be quite cold.
Put them into jars or bottles well bunged, and a tablespoonful of the
best olive-oil on the top of each jar or bottle. Tie them down with
bladder, and let them stand in a cool place for a month or six weeks,
when they will be fit for use. They should be beautifully white, and
eat crisp, without the least softness, and will keep good many months.
_Seasonable_ from the middle of July to the end of August.
ONIONS, Spanish, Baked.
_Ingredients._—4 or 5 Spanish onions, salt, and water. _Mode._—Put the
onions, with their skins on, into a saucepan of boiling water slightly
salted, and let them boil quickly for an hour. Then take them out,
wipe them thoroughly, wrap each one in a piece of paper separately,
and bake them in a moderate oven for 2 hours, or longer, should the
onions be very large. They may be served in their skins, and eaten with
a piece of cold butter and a seasoning of pepper and salt; or they may
be peeled, and a good brown gravy poured over them. _Time._—1 hour
to boil, 2 hours to bake. _Average cost_, medium-sized, 2_d._ each.
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from September to January.
ONIONS, Spanish, Pickled.
_Ingredients._—Onions, vinegar; salt and cayenne to taste. _Mode._—Cut
the onions in thin slices; put a layer of them in the bottom of a jar;
sprinkle with salt and cayenne; then add another layer of onions, and
season as before. Proceeding in this manner till the jar is full, pour
in sufficient vinegar to cover the whole, and the pickle will be fit
for use in a month. _Seasonable._—May be had in England from September
to February.
ONIONS, Spanish, Stewed.
_Ingredients._—5 or 6 Spanish onions, 1 pint of good broth or gravy.
_Mode._—Peel the onions, taking care not to cut away too much of the
tops or tails, or they would then fall to pieces; put them into a
stewpan capable of holding them at the bottom without piling them one
on the top of another; add the broth or gravy, and simmer _very gently_
until the onions are perfectly tender. Dish them, pour the gravy round,
and serve. Instead of using broth, Spanish onions may be stewed with
a large piece of butter: they must be done very gradually over a slow
fire or hot-plate, and will produce plenty of gravy. _Time._—To stew in
gravy, 2 hours, or longer if very large. _Average cost_, medium-sized,
2_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons. _Seasonable_ from
September to January.
_Note._—Stewed Spanish onions are a favourite accompaniment to roast
shoulder of mutton.