Two ways to slice an onion
And a recipe to pink pickle them.
To me, the smell of an onion cooking is pure bliss. It’s the sign that something delicious has just begun to take shape. It’s the smell of a summer BBQ, the burnt beginnings of a charred salsa, and the soft scent of a ragu forming on a cold day. If someone could figure out how to bottle the smell of onions frying in butter, I’d be your number one customer.
Onions are as complex as they are versatile and the way you cut them can change the way it cooks. While there are a myriad of ways to chop, slice, dice, brunoises an onion, here, we’re focussing on two. So grab a big ol bag of onions like Meryl Streep in Julia and Julia and go at it.
An onion has a root end, where the roots grow out of, and a tip. As Donkey so eloquently explains in Shrek, onions have layers. These layers are made up of fibres and grow from the root end towards the tip. So when you cut open an onion from root to tip, you can see that this is also the direction the fibers go.
Onions are around 90% water, most of which is held inside these fibres.
When you cut across the grain, this cuts through the fibres and they become exposed, giving the water a route to escape. If you cut them with the grain, fewer fibres are exposed, and therefore, less water escapes. Makes sense, right?!
An onion cut across the grain will release its water when cooked, causing it to melt and soften. This is perfect for things like, caramelised onions or when you want that onion flavour without the bite.
Alternately, onions cut with the grain are going to be crunchier, juicier, and will retain their texture. Good in stir-fries or as seen below, in pickled onions.
How to cut an onion ACROSS the grain - or, rainbows.
Cut the tip off the onion, then hold it firmly, cut in half from root to tip.
Starting with one half, peel the first layer of onion skin back towards the root, and keep it attached. This will act as a handhold later on.
Place the onion half flat side down on the board, you want the root on your nondominant side, I’m right-handed so on my left side. Hold it steady with your nondominant hand, curling your fingers under and away from the knife blade to avoid accidents.
Now, using a sharp knife, cut thin even slices of onion, starting at the tip and progressing towards the root. Use the flat surface of your knuckles to line up and guide each slice.
Once you near the root end, you can hold on to the piece of onion that’s been folded back to get all the way to the root.
Repeat.
How to cut an onion WITH the grain - or toenails.
Cut the tip off the onion, then flip and cut the root off too.
Peel any onion skin off and place it flat-side down on your cutting board. You want the root to be facing you.
Hold it steady with your nondominant hand, curling your fingers under and away from the knife blade to avoid accidents.
Angle the knife so the blade is facing toward the centre of the onion. This helps get nice and even pieces the whole way around. Rather than getting a big flat chunk on either side. Slice.
Follow the shape of the onion, slicing and tilting the knife as you go. The knife should always be aimed at the centre of the onion. Create thin even slices.
Repeat.
Mexican-inspired pickled onions.
These are the types of pickles you find piled into a little tin dish on most taqueria tables. Sour, vinegary, crunchy, pink - so good.
Ingredients:
2 red onions, thinly sliced with the grain
2 tsp salt
300ml red wine vinegar
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp oregano
BONUS: 2 slices of beetroot
Toss the onions and salt together in a bowl. Allow to sit for around 30 minutes, stirring now and then until the onions have started to release some liquid.
Measure out the vinegar, peppercorns, garlic, and oregano.
Pour that all over the onions and give a good mix.
Transfer to the clean jars, topping up with a bit of water if needed to submerge the onions completely.
**BONUS: I like my pickled onions pink, pink, pink so put a piece of beetroot in the bottom of each jar. You don’t really taste it but they make them super vibrant.
Put the lids on and chill in the fridge for 3 hours before using. They will keep up to a week in the fridge.
Ways to use:
Honestly, once these are in your fridge, you’ll find an excuse to put them on everything.
Super good on any type of Mexican food, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, chilli etc etc.
Atop a piece of toast with avocado and boiled eggs.
Sprinkled on a slow-cooked, middle Eastern-inspired shoulder of lamb.
Use in place of red onion in salads like, roasted cauliflower and grain, creamy potato, or through coleslaw.
Shoved in a pita with grilled chicken, tabbouleh, and tzatziki.
Chopped tiny and spooned into a freshly shucked oyster.
I’ve put these stuffed baked onions on my list for the cooler months. A real Sunday project.
This trick for reducing the time it takes to caramelise onions does really work.
Not technically an onion but still in the allium family, I want these garlic pillows.
I don’t have a hack for reducing tears while cutting onions but I will say that since I got contacts (many years ago), I’ve not shed a single tear. Well, not over a cut onion anyway.
That’s it, that’s all,
Rosie
Didn’t know this re onions - just tried it for a soup I’ve made a lot where you caramelise them, usually I always go rainbows but I went toenails (lol) and wow it’s made a huge difference! Great tip!