Onion stuffed with Anoia

The stuffed onion is a humble dish that, over time, has become one of the icons of home cooking in the interior Penedès. The secret lies in the large-sized white onion, which is patiently emptied so that its layers become a small natural saucepan. Inside it is placed a filling that varies according to the house: it usually combines minced pork and beef with breadcrumbs, egg, aromatic herbs and, often, a pinch of black sausage that intensifies the taste.

Once stuffed, the onion is slowly baked in the oven, bathed in mild broth and a splash of white wine from neighboring vineyards. During cooking, the natural sugar of the onion caramelizes and gives a honeyed sauce that invites you to spread bread on it. Sometimes seasonal mushrooms or chickpeas from Alta Anoia are added halfway through the process to round off the whole.

Despite its rural origin — it took advantage of irregularly sized onions that were not sold in the market — today we can find it in highly polished versions in restaurants in Sant Sadurní, where it is served as a winter starter and paired with cavas brut nature that balances its sweetness. During the Festa Major or at popular gatherings, it is still prepared in large iron roasters that fill the street with irresistible aromas, a living testimony to the cuisine of the spoon that has survived modern stress.

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