Onion

About

Alliums contribute a wide range of flavors: chives are light and herbal, shallots are delicate and perfumed, bulb onions are pungent and sharp, and leeks and scallions are more vegetal and earthy. Raw onion adds a sharp, crisp edge to dips and salads; cooked slowly, it turns sweet and soft; and fried until browned, it develops a bittersweet depth.

Pairs well with onion

• EaPotatoPotato and onion, though humble everyday staples, combine to great effect in many classic dishes: baked in milk, sautéed together, mashed…
• SuEggIn Jewish cooking, finely chopped boiled egg and scallion mixed with chicken fat (schmaltz) is a classic appetizer spread, served with…
• CiOrangeThinly sliced onion and orange make a crisp, attractive salad.
• FrTomatoWriter Elizabeth David praised a simple tomato-and-onion salad she ate daily one Spanish summer, arguing that both ingredients were good…
• SuGarlicGarlic and onion form the backbone of most savory cooking, but some traditions avoid them deliberately: Chinese Buddhist monks classify…
• CiGingerScallions are ginger's classic partner in Chinese cooking, versatile enough to turn even plain tofu savory.
• EaMushroomDuxelles, finely chopped mushroom and shallot or onion, slowly sautéed in butter in roughly a seven-to-one ratio by weight, until the…
• MeBeefThe original Philly cheesesteak, created by Pat and Harry Olivieri, was originally just finely sliced steak and onions on a roll, with…
• BeMintMint is traditionally used to mask onion breath much as parsley is used for garlic breath.
• MePorkPork pairs well with the whole onion family, garlic with roast pork, chives in Chinese pork dumplings, onion gravy on sausages, or pork…
• MeChickenChicken's mild, neutral flavor pairs naturally with alliums like leek, as in the traditional Scottish cock-a-leekie soup, made with leeks,…
• BrBaconHam and leek, a more refined variation on bacon and onion, makes a steamed suet pudding or pie to rival steak and kidney, and is…
• ChHard CheeseCheese and onion was the first flavored potato chip sold in the UK and Ireland.
• MeLambOnion sauce, made from softened onions cooked in butter, simmered in milk with nutmeg and pepper, then thickened with cream, is a classic…
• WoCarrotCarottes à la nivernaise are made by blanching carrots and then slowly stewing them in butter and stock until only a thick syrup remains,…
• MaOily FishHawaiian poke marinates raw tuna cut into small cubes with various seasonings, traditionally seaweed and roasted candlenuts, though onion…
• BrAnchovyBigoli in salsa, a Venetian dish of thick, nutty whole-wheat pasta with anchovies and onions, is a regional specialty of the Dorsoduro area.
• EaCeleryDiced carrot, celery and onion form mirepoix, the aromatic base for many stocks, soups and stews; adding bacon or cured fat makes a…
• GrPeaPetits pois are a naturally small, sweet pea variety, distinct from canned "petit pois," which are often just underdeveloped regular peas…
• BeRosemaryFarinata (called socca in Nice, just across the French-Italian border) is a savory chickpea-flour pancake, often served in Liguria topped…
• SuCabbageCabbage (or sprouts) and onion flavor the classic British leftover dish bubble and squeak, traditionally a fried mix of leftover roast…
• GrCucumberIn Chinese food theory, cool, watery cucumber is considered yin and warm, pungent onion yang.
• SpNutmegNutmeg's subtle bitterness balances the sweetness of onion.
• EaBeetBeet's sweetness is offset by raw onion; cooked onion develops its own sweetness that can be balanced with vinegar, as in a beet and onion…
• BeThymeThyme adds depth and freshness to creamy onion soup: chopped onions are sweated in butter and oil with thyme sprigs until soft, then…
• MaOysterMignonette, the classic French oyster accompaniment, is made by finely chopping shallots and mixing them with red wine vinegar.
• BrSmoked FishThin raw red onion rings cut through the richness of smoked salmon while matching its bold flavor, making a classic bagel-and-cream-cheese…
• SpCloveIn bread sauce, a clove-studded onion flavors the dish throughout but is discarded before serving; the onion's tang, softened by the…
• BeSageSage and onion is a classic stuffing pairing, sweet, herbal and earthy.
• MeLiverOnion's sweetness offsets liver's bitter, savory flavor in dishes across many cuisines: Poland fries breadcrumbed pig's liver strips over…