Vidalia's Baked Onion

By Howie

Ingredients

• 4 jumbo Vidalia onions, whole with skins left on
• 8 tb (1 stick) butter, softened
• 4 tb brown sugar
• 8 tb sherry vinegar
• 4 tb beef glaze or boullon
• 4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 lg shiitake mushroom caps, finely diced
• 4 oz country ham, finely diced
• 4 tb chives, chopped
• 1 ripe tomato, finely diced
• salt & pepper

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1) Cut 1/4 inch from the bottom (rounded root end) of each onion. Score the skin of each onion at 1 inch intervals, starting from the cut bottom end upward to within 1/2 inch of the top. Pull the sections of onion skin back and up over the top of each onion, like a tassel.

2) On a work surface, place 4 12" square pieces of aluminum foil. Place 1/4 of the butter, sugar, vinegar, beef glaze, rosemary, thyme and diced mushroom in the center of each piece. Top each with an onion and draw the foil from 4 corners to the top center, like a pyramid. Crimp the foil around the "neck" of the onion, leaving the "tassel" of the onion skin exposed. There should be a hole in the center.

3) Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until soft. Transfer onions and mushrooms to serving plates, reserving the juice.

4) Combine the cooking juices from all the onions in a saucepan and gently heat with the ham, chives and tomato. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour 1/4 of the sauce over each onion and serve.