Baby Red Onions

Baby red onions (Allium cepa) from France — small, whole red onions harvested young, sized for cooking and serving intact. These are not pearl onions in the French oignon grelot sense, though they serve a similar purpose in the kitchen: their size means they can be roasted, braised, pickled or glazed whole, without cutting, which keeps the layers together and gives each onion a soft, melting centre with a caramelised exterior.

The flavour is sweeter and milder than a full-sized red onion, with less of the raw sharpness that can dominate salads and sauces when a larger onion is used carelessly. The deep burgundy skin gives way to concentric rings of white and pink-purple, which hold their colour well when cooked gently — a useful quality when presentation matters. Baby red onions are a natural fit for braises, stews and tray roasts where you want an onion component that holds its shape and looks deliberate on the plate rather than dissolving into the background. They also pickle well and quickly, making them useful as a condiment or garnish.

Origin: France

Ingredients: Baby red onions (Allium cepa)

Storage: Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight. Do not refrigerate. Use within two to three weeks.