Why growing onions is (mostly) pointless and an onion supper inspired by crisp sarnies

Roast onions with Marmite beans, the last of the kale, and cheesy crumbs - a recipe for the organised onion grower (not me).

I saw Nigel Slater roasting onions last week in the Guardian.

There was also talk of Marmite in his article; not using it to cook with, but of Marmite-y flavours. And it got me thinking: weren’t Marmite sandwiches with cheese and onion crisps stuffed into them just the best thing? It’s the flavour combination, you see: salty marmite, sweet onion, strong farmyard-y cheddar. None of this was improved by a sweaty morning festering in a school lunchbox, but since I’m a grown up now, I can redeploy that same trio of flavours in more classy ways (though I’m never too proud to enjoy a decent crisp sandwich).

All of which brings us to onions.

Some veg growers will have strings of onions hanging in their sheds, perfectly plaited and somehow immune to the mice and their night-time raids. I, it won’t surprise you, am not that grower. In fact, I don’t even grow onions. Why would you? I know that will be controversial in some quarters, but, unless you have acres on which to grow and are aiming for self-sufficiency, there are far tastier, more interesting ways to use your veg patch space and then buy a sack of onions from the grocers.

If you do grow onions, then I applaud you, and you must make this recipe, for it is, aside from French onion soup, one of the only times onions take centre stage and, if you’ve bothered to grow your own, that is exactly where you will want them.

More ways with roasted onions

I abide by Nigel Slater’s method for roasting onions and so should you. Once you’ve used them for the recipe below, you might also try:

• Which cheesy polenta, as Nigel does

• Pressed into a sheet of puff pastry and returned to the oven for 15 minutes and a quick tart.

• Roughly chopped and tossed into hot pasta with capers, sultanas and breadcrumbs.

• Served beside a roast chicken and dribbled in salty chicken juices.

• As part of a warm salad with radicchio and blue cheese. Maybe a pear too.

Roast onions with marmite beans and cheesy crumbs

These onions make a worthy centrepiece, but you could serve them alongside, say, a roast chicken. The breadcrumbs, which are like the tastiest crusty ends of a cheese toastie, will bring life to all sorts of dishes besides this one. Finally a note on the greens. I used the last baby leaves of the cavolo nero and kale in the veg patch before digging up the spent plants, but shop bought and roughly chopped kale would do just as well.

Serves 4

• 1 very large (village show prize winning sized) onion

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the beans:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 15g butter

• 1 leek, finely diced

• 1 jar (or 2 tins) cannellini or white beans (I use Bold Bean Co jars)

• 1 tsp Marmite (more if you like it strong)

• 30g cheddar, grated

• ¼ tsp garlic granules

• 100g kale or cavolo nero

For the cheesy crumbs:

• 15g butter

• 25g breadcrumbs

• 10g parmesan, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Halve the onion top to bottom and peel. Coat in the olive oil and season generously with salt, then place cut side down on a deep-sided roasting tray and roast for 40 minutes. Turn the onion halves over, cover the tray with foil and return to the oven for 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile: the crumbs. Warm the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat then add the breadcrumbs and fry for 1-2 minutes. As they begin to turn golden, add the grated parmesan and stir for a minute more until golden and stuck together. Transfer into a bowl and try not to eat them while you make the beans.

For which, wipe out the breadcrumb pan, return it to a medium heat and melt the olive oil and butter together. Add the leeks and sweat for 10 minutes until very soft. Tip in the beans, juice and all, then stir through the marmite, cheese and garlic granules. Warm this mixture gently for a couple of minutes then add the kale to wilt for a final 2 minutes.

To serve, spoon the beans onto a plate. Arrange the onions on top, then sprinkle with cheesy crumbs. Dig in and dream of crisp-filled Marmite sandwiches.

Roast Onions With Marmite Beans - Kathy Slack

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