Glazed Cipollini Onions with Fennel

February 18, 2021

I'm Chef Eduardo, and I'm a plant-based chef.

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I've been a professional chef for over 10 years and now I'm sharing my knowledge and helping people learn how to cook with plants to make them delicious!

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Gluten-free · Nut-free · Soy-free

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If you’ve never dabbled with cipollini onions before, try this preparation. What I love about cipollinis is that they’re essentially mini onions, so as opposed to large onions that you have to chop up or separate into layers, you can eat cippolinis whole and when you do, it’s like a flavor explosion in your mouth! Their sweetness is concentrated and they’re beautifully delicate.

Cooked this way, the cipollinis take on a deep richness and smoothness that goes well with almost everything. Which brings me to the uses for these glazed mini onions: this dish makes a great side. The natural sweetness of the onions can balance out other dishes, without adding any sugar. It’s a delicious pop of flavor that you can have in your fridge that you can use in your cooking and will last a few weeks.

Eat these glazed cipollinis whole or blend them into a purée and spread it on toast (use this idea to make canapés by spreading the toast on crackers!). Or use these cipollinis as a condiment and use them to season dishes and elevate soups, stews, and salads.

Substitutions

If for whatever reasons you can’t find cipollini onions, you can use chopped Spanish onions or Vidalia onions—which are very sweet—instead. Also feel free to add more spices such as fennel seeds, ground cloves, or mustard seeds.

Equipment

For these glazed cipollini onions, you’ll need:

  • 1 small pan 

  • Spatula 

  • Chef’s knife 

  • Cutting board 

  • Parchment paper to create a cartouche or lid that will fit the pan

Uses

Use these glazed cipollinis for:

  • Dressings

  • Salads 

  • As a condiment for soups and stews

  • As a side or topping for macro plates or grain bowls

  • Canapés (blend into a purée and spread on toast or crackers)

 

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Yields: 480g

Ingredients

1 small, thin cinnamon stick

1g telicherry peppercorn (about 20 pcs )

40ml extra virgin olive oil

340g peeled cipollini onions (about 28 small onions)

148g fennel, sliced into 1/2”-thick slices (about 2 small bulbs)

15g garlic cloves (about 4 small cloves)

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Sea salt, to taste 

240ml vegetable broth

Zest of 1/2 orange

4-5 slices orange

Method

  1. Heat a small pan on low flame and add cinnamon and peppercorn. Toast the spices until fragrant (about 5 minutes).

  2. Add oil, cipollini, fennel, garlic and thyme to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until everything is starting to get some color.

  3. Season with salt and add broth, orange zest, and orange slices. Cover with a lid or a cartouche and cook on low flame for about 30 minutes. Check after 20 minutes to see if there’s still water in the pan and check how cooked the cipollini are by using a cake tester or toothpick. The cipollini should be soft and look glazed and shiny.

  4. Adjust seasoning if necessary and transfer to a clean jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

 

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I'm Chef Eduardo, and I'm a plant-based chef living in New York City.

more about me

I've been a professional chef for over 10 years and now I'm sharing my knowledge and helping people learn how to cook with plants to make them delicious!

categories

learn how to master vegan cooking

find out more

categories

starters

events

snacks

sides

breakfast

dessert

mains

bread

sauces

nutrition

lifestyle

cooking

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@vegancookingmastery