I’ve been having so much fun and yes, it’s work and it’s wonderful. I even have a real styling gig booked and I’m super excited about it…5-6 solid days. It’ll be grueling because we’re shooting around 50 shots in a week! I’ve already practiced some of the dishes to make sure the day goes smoothly. It’s for a line-up of proteins for home meal replacements using 9 fully cooked products in 4-5 applications each. I had to come up with the usage suggestions based on the client’s parameters (I actually had to come up with 10 each – 90 in total and from the 10, they selected 4-5 that I’m making during that week). It was fun but challenging in coming up with the ideas because I didn’t want just ordinary options. They all had to be relatively easy to put together, few ingredients that “Mom” would have easy access to and meals that come together in less than 30 minutes because “Mom” is super busy.
In the meantime, I thought I’d share a couple of photos that although I was assisting, the wonderful stylist allowed me to style entirely on my own. They were published this past spring by Viva Magazine Online.
This is a pdf of the Foodfeature_viva_spring2014, we did all the food in this issue. I cooked most of it and the food stylist plated it, the only one I had next to nothing to do with was the duck confit. The photographer is Arash Moallemi, please click here to see his work.
I don’t often get the pleasure of watching specialty cable channels like Food Network Canada because we cancelled our cable service 2 years ago and now use a digital antenna. I could go on line to watch, but many of these channels now put advertising into the shows and you are unable to fast forward like the old VCRs and I no longer have the patience to watch it through. About 2 weeks ago, I was at someone’s house with cable TV and we watched Laura Calder’s French Food at Home. She made a few recipes that I would consider ‘keepers’ but this one really stood out for me so I made it at the cottage as a light lunch and rest assured I will be making this beautiful dish again and again. Next time, it’ll be an appetizer for a dinner party. I hope you enjoy it, it infuses the house with a gorgeous fragrance as it bakes and because it bakes on such a low setting, it won’t warm up your house in the middle of the summer. I hope you enjoy it too. Please click here for the original recipe because I made some alterations.
Baked Onions with Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette
Makes 4 whole onions, serves 4.
Ingredients:
-
4 ordinary cooking onions
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1/4 cup EVOO
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1/4 cup white wine vinegar
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1 tbsp mayo
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1 tsp Dijon mustard
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2 tbsp olive oil from roasting the onions
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1 tsp finely chopped tarragon
- Good grind each of pepper and sea salt
Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 F.
- Add 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a small Dutch oven.
- Remove only the exterior skin of each onion and cut the stem side flat. You want some skin left on the onion for presentation. Sprinkle with sea salt.
- Nestle the onions into the olive oil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 425 F.
- Lower the oven temperature to 250F and cover the dutch oven with a lid or foil. Continue to bake for 2-3 hours or until the onion is extremely soft.
- Combine the white wine vinegar, mayo, Dijon mustard and olive oil and whisk well. Stir in the chopped tarragon and a good grinding of salt and pepper.
- Spoon a little bit of the baked olive oil in the centre of a plate. Put each onion on top of the baked olive oil.
- Cut the onion skins in about 4 places and peel back to reveal the creamy goodness. Drizzle the tarragon dressing over each serving.
- Serve warm with Crostini or just as is and wait for the accolades!
Notes:
- Laura cautioned against using olive oil because she didn’t want the flavour to over power the delicate sweetness of the onion, I did not find that it did.
- Laura placed her onions on little piles of sea salt, I didn’t have any so I did not employ that method.
- Laura used a raw egg in her dressing, I used a tablespoon of mayo instead.
- The baked olive oil is packed with flavour so save the left overs to make a very yummy salad dressing.
- An additional serving suggestion is to serve it with a Gruyère crisp but I didn’t have Gruyère at the lake.
[…] refer to this recipe on baking the onions and proceed to step […]
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Hi Eva, I just wanted to drop back in to let you know that we made your roasted onion the other weekend. We loved the soft, delicious texture (it literally melted in our mouths) and the boys found it equally appealing. The sauce is a delight — I did end up adding a bit more mayo and a touch of honey to counter the acidity of vinegar and make it slightly thicker but what a gorgeous flavor! We loved the fresh tarragon. Thanks so much for the recipe; it’s a keeper for us.
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Thank you so much for letting me know, I am touched for many reasons. I’m very happy that you enjoyed them too, it is quite surprising that something so simple could be as exquisite. ❤️
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It sounds like you’re having a ball which is wonderful Eva! And these baked onions look incredible. I love eating onions but my eyes do water a lot when chopping them but baking them whole like this is a great idea!
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I cannot wait to make these! I love onions and this looks like a perfect way to prepare them. The flavor combos of the onion, vinegar and mustard!!! Delish!
Congrats on your stylings being published. They look beautiful. 🙂
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I cook onions a lot…roasted, caramelized in the pan, grilled, and caramelized on the grill with balsamic, but never baked whole like this. It’s a great idea and I’m bookmarking, for sure. Love seeing your styling shots. Both of those dishes look wonderful.
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Tarragon is one of my favorite fresh herbs, to me it tastes of fresh produce and spring/summer! I know I’d love this recipe and will try to add it to my week’s recipes. Laura Calder is one of my favorite chefs, I love her cooking show:) Congratulations!!!! Big Congrats!! How wonderful to be doing what you love for a living!!
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Thanks Barbara, I’m still pinching myself!
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looks delicious! love the sound of that dijon and tarragon vinaigrette. yum!
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Thank you kindly Thalia, welcome to my blog.
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OMG these photos are outstanding! I love, love, love baked onions and look forward to trying these soon.
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Report: i just made one and i’m pretty much enjoying it with my baked fish!!!
cross my finger X
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When I read baked onions in the url I didn’t think much but then…. bam! I am smitten by the picture and then you have added dijon mustard too. I could need your baked onions now to sweeten the horrible cold weather outside. Congrats to your project! You are definitely a hundred times better in food styling then me. I just dislike the food styling part but I guess you know that already. 😉 cheers!
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Food styling is so hard! I’d fire the stylist at my blog, but well that’s me, so I just have to put up with it. 😉 Congrats on your project, and thanks for this recipe — it’s a good one.
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Wow, Eva, congratulations! I’m so excited for you reading about your latest project. You have a lovely eye for styling and those photos you shared are gorgeous! Was it the same food photographer for both of the Viva shots or do they tend to change? How fun to be around such a creative, productive environment — you must be soaking up so much information as you go. 50 different food/recipes to shoot in a week is huge… I can barely handle one ;-).
Ok, so on to the baked onion… brilliant. I cannot wait to try this (and cannot believe I haven’t yet – just *love* the idea) — it somehow reminds me of all the comfort of French onion soup without all the work :). The creamy tarragon sauce has got me all a flutter this morning :O), Great recipe Eva.
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You are far too kind, Kelly. Thank you. The photos are retouched a bit (colour correction, tweaking) but for the most part it’s minor. So yes, it’s my work!
You and I are totally on the same page, I’m going to tweak this into a French Onion Soup soon! Just love it. Thank you for your generous and lovely words. Hope you’re just loving your new place. XOXO
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Your baked onions look amazing and I don’t know why I have never cooked onions like this before. How exciting about your styling job. You sound like you’re absolutely loving your job which is fantastic xx
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oh onions anything makes me happy but baked onions loaded with the mustard and vinegar and tarragon puts me on cloud nine. I love this and such a simple way to get alot more flavor out of an onion
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What a great idea, i love roasted garlic, shallots and bell pepper but never try onions,
this is definitely my next project!!!
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OK. Now you’re speaking to my heart. If I were not so happily married to my dream girl, love of my life and Baby Lady, I would have to marry you. I seriously love onions. They are my favorite vegetable. Baked with a Dijon Tarragon Vinaigrette with so tempting photos…I just awoke and my pillow is gone and I’m feeling rather full. 😦
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Oh my Richard.
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Yum, these onions rate such a great idea 😀
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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How fun for you to be able to soak up all this wonderful food styling knowledge! Your work is gorgeous!!! xo
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I’m not quite as fond of eating onions straight. You have to batter and deep fry them for me. 🙂
Congratulations on the styling jobs. Both the dishes make ME want to dig in. Having to come up with all those ideas for your jobs sounds very challenging.
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Yaaaaayyy!
Woooo hooooooo to the styling gig!!
You’re on your way to being one badass bitch girl. Very excited for you!!
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The onion looks fantastic! I have a recipe for onion-stuffed onions I wanted to try for years… I must do it when it gets colder. You seem to be pretty busy and, what is most important, very happy in your job. Congratulations!
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Lovely. Funny, it’s on my list to do some baked onions. I’d never seen recipes for it until a few weeks ago. Such a delicious idea!
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Your baked onions look delicious. We’ve tried a few versions and they’ve never been quite right. We’ll have to bookmark yours. Great news about the styling gigs!
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Congratulations on your styling gigs, well done and beautiful photos. Especially love the rustic breakfast pizza would love to have it for breakfast this very moment.
I love onion and this one is certainly going to be on the menu in the future.
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I love baked onions…they sound great for cooler weather which is just around the corner.
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The baked onions look very delicious, Eva. I would have used olive oil too.
Love that pot of chocolate cream.
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