Tropea onions "al balsamico"

I love onions, I adore onions, I live for onions though… I don't like them raw!

But there's always an exception right? And that is for Tropea onions!

This is a special variety that grows only in Calabria (South of Italy), near the coastal village of Tropea and they are one of the best in the whole world!

In fact, they are much sweeter than normal onions, so sweet that inhabitants of Tropea have developed thousands of recipes throughout the years, including jam and gelato, yes ONION GELATO!

With this recipe, I would like to share a very simple yet delicious way to enjoy onions, in combination with balsamic vinegar and herb-flavoured breadcrumbs.

Tropea onions are hard to find outside Italy, so use shallots or normal onions instead, they will work absolutely fine too!

INGREDIENTS:

5 Tropea onions (or shallots / red onions)

150ml balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

A pinch of salt

150g stale wholemeal bread

Black pepper, oregano and garlic powder to taste

Olive oil for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS:

Peel the onions and cut them in half, lengthways. Place them on a tray with a drizzle of olive oil.

Make the balsamic vinegar sauce by mixing the vinegar with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt. Pour it over the onions.

Cover the tray with aluminium foil and bake at 200°C for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile finely crumble the stale bread and season it with black pepper, oregano, garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil.

Take the onions out of the oven and coat them with the breadcrumbs.

Bake again with the grill mode on until crispy and golden.