Egyptian walking onions do just that; they walk their way across a garden. These unusual plants produce clusters of onion sets at the top of their stalks. As the sets at the top mature and become too heavy for the stalks to hold them upright, they lean over to the ground and replant themselves, traveling across the yard. When the new sets are buried, a petite onion will form. Once these are established they will travel, producing onions along the way, for years. The onions harvested from walking onions are very similar to pearl onions and, like their cousins, are delicious creamed.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Combine the onions, cream, garlic, and salt in a small baking dish. Dot the top with the butter and add a little hot sauce, nutmeg, and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until the onions are beginning to brown and are very tender.
Notes
Step 3
To peel pearl onions, cut off a small bit of root end from each onion and drop the onions in boiling water. Let boil for 3 minutes, then submerge in cold water. The peels will slip off easily.
Step 4
If you like, add 1/2 cup blanched almonds to the onions as Helen Corbitt did.
Step 5
One of my favorite Southern authors is Clyde Edgerton, who wrote a novel called Walking Across Egypt. The title comes from one of the lead character’s favorite hymns, which was written by Mr. Edgerton himself!
