Correspondent photo by ERIC STANWAY
Pickled Onions
Correspondent photo by ERIC STANWAY
“Let first the onion flourish there,
Rose among roots, the maiden-fair,
Wine scented and poetic soul,
Of the capacious salad bowl.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
Turkish legend has it that, when God cast Lucifer out of heaven, he landed upon the Earth, and, where his left foot fell, there grew garlic. His right foot sprouted an onion.
Now, I’m not certain what the Turks have against the onion, but it certainly isn’t shared by other ancient cultures. The Egyptians considered it a symbol of eternity because of the concentric circles that make up the vegetable. For this same reason, public servants put their hand upon an onion when they took the oath of office. They also believed that eating a raw onion would improve breathing and listed more than 4,000 ailments for which it was the cure.
In Russia and Eastern Europe, onion-shaped towers were all the rage, indicating that the structure would stand throughout eternity. The Romans were particularly fond of onions; Pliny the elder wrote extensively of the fine quality of the onions and cabbages to be found at Pompeii, before Mount Vesuvius erupted and killed him. Later excavations of the area revealed telltale holes in the ground, where onions had once been planted.
Other aficionados included the Greeks, who would rub onion juice on the bodies of athletes at the Olympic games, and the Franks, who would eat pounds of them, washed down with tankards of beer.
Of course, with winter coming in, the supply of vegetables would diminish. Onions can last for quite some time, but not the entire season. And that’s where pickling came in.
The Romans, who invaded Britain under Julius Caesar in 55 B.C., were among the first to take pickling seriously, using vinegar and honey. The first century soldier-turned farmer Lucius Iunius Moderatus Columella offered up this recipe for the process:
First, dry the onions in the sun, then cool in the shade. Arrange it in a pot with thyme or marjoram strewn underneath, and, after pouring in a liquid consisting of three parts vinegar and one of brine, put a bunch of marjoram on top, so that the onions may be pressed down. When they have absorbed the liquid, let the vessel be filled up with a similar liquid.
It’s a recipe that has more or less stood the test of time. Pickled onions became a traditional standby throughout most of Western Europe, usually prepared in the late fall or early winter so they would be ready for eating at the coldest and darkest part of the year. Throughout Britain and Ireland, they are inextricably tied to the Christmas season, usually enjoyed with cheese, bread and pork pie.
The following recipe should sit on your counter for about a month before consumption. Of course, that means, if you prepare them now, they should be more or less ready by New Year’s Eve, to enjoy with your Melton Mowbray Pork Pie and some very mature cheddar.
But we’ll be talking about that some more later.
PICKLED ONIONS
2½ pounds onions
1 ounce kosher salt
2 pints (32 ounces) malt vinegar
6 ounces sugar
½ teaspoon mustard seed
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
First, find a large glass bottle, one that can hold all of the onions, with a securable lid.
Cut the tops and bottoms off the onions. Pour boiling water over them, and allow them to cool. When cool, drain and peel the onions; the skin should come right off. Pour salt over, cover and leave at room temperature for 12 hours.
Rinse the onions at least five times. Allow to dry.
Place your jar in a large broiling pan, and fill to cover with water. Bring gently to a boil, so the jar is sterilized. Remove, drain and place on a table. Fill with the dry onions.
Heat the vinegar, sugar and spices in a saucepan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, but not boiling. Pour the mixture over the onions, slowly, so as to avoid air pockets. Cover and seal. Place on the counter to mature, at least four weeks.
Makes 32 servings.
Eric Stanway can be reached at Eric.Stanway@yahoo.com or www.Eric Stanway.com.
