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What are Egyptian walking onions?

I must admit that my curiosity could not resist such a bizarre name for an onion cultivated mainly in western Liguria, so I expressed my interest to receive a book entirely dedicated to this subject, as well as to receive Egyptian walking onions to experiment with in the kitchen.

First of all, the name. In reality, the adjective ‘Egyptian‘ has nothing to do with the Egyptian civilisation, so much so that it is also known to the world by many other names, a fact which, in addition to its ease of cultivation, has made it somewhat mysterious, favouring its spread from the 1600s onwards. Already at that time, the onion was present in Russia and particularly in Siberia where it withstands even the cold winter temperatures. This capacity has meant that it has become a valuable source of nutrition for local populations, mainly due to its high vitamin C content, which is not easily available in areas with such hostile climatic conditions.

Yet, the Egyptian onion is also perfectly adapted to the Ligurian climate where, planted in the soil, it is able to produce several onions overhead and for long periods of time. The small bulbs develop in place of the traditional flower and are buried to give rise to other plants that grow easily and without requiring much attention.

If the bulbs are not harvested, the long stems on which they grow bend under their own weight and end up touching the soil where they root, giving rise to new plants. Hence the name of ‘walking onion‘. Economically, this onion has three types of harvest: the green leaves, the underground bulbs (which are left for the following harvest) and the topsets.

Size: a surprise

Reading about all these rather unusual characteristics, my imagination started working on what I could prepare with these perfect strangers, but since onion soup is one of my favourite dishes, my first thought was to use them in this way. But what did I discover when the envelope containing 7 little treasures arrived? First of all, they are really tiny so the thought of soup was instantly erased.

A second aspect that had struck me was reading that in many preparations the long leaves are used, so this time I had thought of a recipe in which the lush, green part was emphasised. My choice? I had thought of empanadas filled with vegetables, including Egyptian onion leaves, and served with a few fried leaves and a grating of hard sheep’s milk ricotta.

You can therefore imagine that, having received the bulbs without the green part, my second idea also tragically stalled. So, having to prepare dinner for two hungry teenagers and a husband well past his teens, but with the same appetite, I decided to use the bulbs as if they were precious little truffles, grating them raw, fragrant and succulent, over freshly made buffalo ricotta small gnocchi. A curiosity: one of the reasons why the Egyptian onion is so popular in cooking is that, even raw, it does not leave its scent in the mouth once consumed!

I don’t know how the other recipes I had thought would turn out, but this use of onion met with our approval. And you know what? I used 4 and planted the remaining 3 in the vegetable garden, so I am hoping for a small harvest in a few months to continue the experimentation!

Would you like some more gnocchi recipes? Try these Gnocchi with hare.

Buffalo ricotta gnocchi with saffron and Egyptian walking onion

carbohydrates 14.8g uncooked plain gnocchi

 

Ingredients for 4-5 servings

  • 600g buffalo ricotta
  • 200g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 160g pasta flour mix, brand Petra 03** or bread flour, brand Nutrifree**
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 50g milk
  • 4 Egyptian onions
  • 0.25g saffron
  • basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, flour and egg, adjust salt and, when even, place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Form cylindrical strips and cut out small gnocchi.
  3. In the meantime, put a few tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the cherry tomatoes cut into quarters and with the seeds removed. Season with salt and set aside.
  4. In a pan, large enough to hold the gnocchi once cooked, pour in the milk and dissolve the saffron together with a few tablespoons of the gnocchi cooking water and a pinch of salt.
  5. Cook the gnocchi in slightly salted boiling water for a few minutes and as soon as they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in the pan with the saffron; allow the sauce to thicken and the gnocchi to gain flavour over medium heat.
  6. Assemble the plates by placing the saffron gnocchi, sautéed cherry tomatoes, a few basil leaves, a grated or very thinly sliced Egyptian onion (I used a Microplane grater to make this sort of carpaccio) and finally freshly ground pepper.
  7. It is a tasty and aromatic dish and above all fresh and perfect for summer.

 

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Version with gluten of Buffalo ricotta gnocchi with saffron and Egyptian walking onion

Replace the gluten free flour with 180g conventional flour.

 

This recipe was submitted to the MA CHE CIPOLLA D’EGITTO! 2018″ contest

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The recipe we are sharing today is from the family of a Greek friend, Vassilios, whom I asked to help me give my children a taste of this traditional Greek dish: Aubergine Mussakàs.

Mussakàs can be prepared with aubergines only, or by adding potatoes as well. For carbohydrate reasons, I chose to make it with aubergines only, but given the success of the dish, I think I will also try the mixed version soon.

Of course, we will also share it with you, as well as another recipe with an oriental flavour: Falafel.

The original recipe calls for aubergines to be fried in oil and, in some cases, a little butter. I preferred to grill the aubergines in the oven to make the dish lighter. I also took the liberty of doing the same with the béchamel in terms of both quantity and egg content.

But believe me, the result was very satisfying!

Aubergine Mussakàs 

5.5g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg aubergines, preferably round
  • 750g minced meat (to taste, mixed is also fine)
  • 500g tomato sauce (or 750g fresh tomatoes in season)
  • 150g Roman pecorino cheese (kefalotyri in Greek), grated
  • 100g onions
  • 100g white wine
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
  • extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
  • optional cloves and/or cinnamon, to be added to the minced meat sauce (this is Vassilios’s mother’s secret)

Ingredients for the béchamel sauce

  • 600g milk
  • 60g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 30g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 5g salt
  • cinnamon and nutmeg

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation of Aubergine Mussakàs

  1. Put the minced meat in a pan with the onion and fry well with oil. Stir often so that the meat does not create lumps and does not stick; douse with the wine, then add tomato sauce, parsley, salt, pepper and possibly 2-4 cloves and/or ½ cinnamon stick to be removed at the end.
    Bring to the boil and simmer for at least 1.5 hours, until the sauce has thickened… almost like a meat sauce.
  2. Meanwhile, wash and dry the aubergines, cut them into thin slices and grill them in the oven at 180°C until cooked.
    Prepare the béchamel sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then remove from the heat and add the rice flour to create a creamy mixture; gradually add the milk, continuing to stir with a whisk so that no lumps form, return to the heat adding salt and pepper and stir until the béchamel sauce is thick and almost starts to boil. At this point, remove the pan from the heat and add the already beaten eggs, mixing everything well. Sprinkle half of the grated Pecorino cheese into the meat sauce and mix well.
  3. Now let’s assemble the dish!

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Arrange the aubergines in parallel rows in the baking dish and cover them with a layer of minced meat; form a second layer of aubergines and cover them again with a layer of meat.

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  1. Finally, finish with a generous amount of béchamel sauce, the remaining cheese and a grating of nutmeg.

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  1. Bake the Mussakàs at 180°C for about 40 minutes.

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Version with gluten of Aubergine Mussakàs

The recipe given is naturally gluten-free, so no adaptation is needed for the version with gluten.

One eats first of all with the eyes, which is why dishes must not only be good but also harmonious and colourful: the cheerfulness they convey starts with the sight and then leaves room for the taste and that is what happens with the Three-colour crêpe rolls.

It is a sensory journey through aromas, scents and nuances.

That’s why the first course we propose here marries this theory to perfection, a perfect mix of flavour, authenticity and energy. Needless to say… strictly gluten-free.

Bring your imagination to the table then with our recipe for Three-colour crêpe rolls. If you like crêpes, also try Quinoa crêpes with broccoli.

Three-colour crêpe rolls

9.7g carbohydrates per 100 g

Ingredients for crêpes

  • 500g milk
  • 230g gluten-free multi-purpose flour**
  • 50g cooked and mashed red beet
  • 50g cooked and blended spinach (creamed spinach)
  • 6 eggs
  • 8g salt
  • extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the filling

  • 500g cabbage
  • 300g milk
  • 200g Bitto or Casera cheese (semi-hard cheese)
  • 30g wholemeal rice flour°
  • 10g butter
  • salt

To serve as desired: cream and parmesan fondue, creamed spinach

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. In a bowl or a food processor, blend all the ingredients for the crêpes except the beet and spinach cream. Once the batter is ready, divide it into three equal parts: one part should remain its natural colour, the other two should be completed with the creamed spinach and red beet respectively.
    In case they still contain pieces of vegetables, blend each mixture using an immersion blender.
  2. Lightly grease a frying pan about 15cm in diameter and pour in enough mixture to cover the bottom. Cook the crêpes on both sides until lightly browned.
  3. And now the filling! Cut cabbage or Savoy cabbage into strips and cook in a wok or non-stick pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and, if necessary, a bit of water. Finally, season with salt.
    In another pan, prepare the béchamel sauce with 10g butter, 30g rice flour, 300g milk and salt to taste.
Rotolini di crepes colorati

The coloured crêpe rolls

  1. Roll the crêpes, distribute the vegetables evenly on top and cover them with two tablespoons of béchamel sauce; finally, finish by adding the diced Bitto or Casera cheese; roll the crêpes and place them on a baking tin covered with parchment paper. Heat in the oven at 160°C until the cheese has melted.

Just one more step.

I rotolini di crepes colorati pronti per essere mangiati

The colourful crêpe rolls ready to be eaten

  1. Cut the crêpe rolls obliquely to obtain 3 small cylinders; spread a layer of fondue on the bottom of each plate and lay 1 cylinder per colour on top.

Serve piping hot.

Version with gluten of Three-colour crêpe rolls

Replace the 230g gluten free flour with 250g wheat flour to make the crepes; no other adaptation is needed.