Salt-roasted onions
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Pour salt to a depth of 1⁄2 inch in the bottom of a roasting pan just large enough to hold the onions in a single layer without their sides touching. Sit the onions upright in the salt. Pour the remaining salt around and over the onions so that only their tops peek out.
- Roast until a small sharp knife slips easily into the center of the onions, 1 hour to 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of the onions. The exposed tops will be quite dark. Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes. (The salt can keep the onions warm for up to 1 hour.) Remove the onions from the salt and brush away any salt that clings to them. Split the onions open and season with the toppings of your choice.
- What else works? You can salt-roast potatoes the same way. Small potatoes, no more than 3 ounces each, work best. You can roast the onions and potatoes together.