First a bombshell fact that potentially might blow your mungus minds, so brace yourselves.
Would you believe I’ve been writing this blog for six years, on and off?
Six whole f*cking years! Hahahaha that’s longer than most of my relationships.
Yeah, OK, I know. Before you start jeering and pointing accusing hands, angrily remonstrating that 2014 could barely be considered a vintage year with regards to this blog and ‘how very dare I talk about six whole years of writing’. (Damn, you people are so passionate). I’ll hold my hands up in a non-confrontational manner (Because we really don’t want to fight about this). And grudgingly admit it was an absolute shitter with regards to actually producing posts, but to be fair that’s because my whole year was literally an absolute shitter in a personal sense. But, hey the less said about that, the better.
Anyway that was then, this is now. What can I say, except here I am back, still the same beautiful, intelligent, gifted individual I always was. Modest, caring and now….frigging sharing via the medium of this very blog!
Look, let’s just hug, make up and perhaps learn to love me once again.
Ok so now all that unpleasantness is out of the way, let’s talk onions, people.
I got the idea for this from Anthony Demetre, Head Chef of Arbutus. In his excellent book ‘Today’s Special’ (Buy it if you don’t have it, it’s superb) He extolls the virtues of simply roasted onions. So I pinched that bit, slung some other stuff into the mix and came up with this dinner. It’s bloody lovely and pretty damn cheap.
Thyme Roasted Onions, Kale, Mozzarella, Chilli & Lemon
Serves 4
You’ll need –
For the onions-
Knob of butter
Splash of olive oil
12 Onions, skins on
Some thyme sprigs
Maldon Salt and Pepper
You’ll also Need-
Bread, blitzed into rough crumbs
Splash of olive oil
A bag of Kale
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
Knob of butter
A ball of mozzarella, torn into rough pieces
Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped.
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped.
Maldon Salt & Pepper
Preheat the oven to 150C
Cut the onions in half, through the root, leaving the skin on.
Heat the butter with the olive oil in a roasting tin or saute pan on the hob, and colour the onions in it, skin side up.
Season with salt and pepper, scatter with the thyme and bake in the oven until soft. 30-40 mins.
Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan with a splash of olive oil and fry off your breadcrumbs until golden and crisp. Season and put to one side.
When the onions are just about done, wash your kale and leave to drain in a colander.
Heat the knob of butter in a large frying pan or wok, and throw in the kale, finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper.
Toss over a high heat for a few minutes until it starts to wilt. Take it off the heat.
Take the skin off your onions (it should just pull off easily) drizzle with a little olive oil and season.
Arrange your roasted onions in the centre of the plate, surrounded by the sautéed kale. Drape your artfully ripped mozzarella over the kale, sprinkled with chilli and lemon zest. Finally dust the whole thing with fried breadcrumbs for a bit of texture, and that’s that. Jobs a good ‘un.
If you don’t fancy mozzarella, I reckon this would be nice with feta or ewes curd instead.
