Baked Onions with Speck Ham and Aromatic Herbs

Onions are cheap and available in any season, easy to prepare and perfect as a side-dish as well as a second course. We have seasoned them with aromatic herbs and Italian Speck ham from South Tyrol.

Serves: 4 | Preparation time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

White onions: 8
Garlic : 1 clove, peeled
Speck Ham: 50 g
Wild Fennel leaves: 1 sprig
Thyme, fresh: 1 sprig
Dried Oregano: a teaspoon
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): 2 tbsp
Pecorino, grated: about a tablespoon
Salt and pepper: to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 160° Fan-Oven / Gas Mark 4 / 350 F.

Mince Speck ham finely. Chop finely garlic clove along with wild fennel and thyme, add dried oregano and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Clean and peel the onions, cut a cross on top of each onion and place them in a saucepan full of salted boiling water for about 6/7 minutes.

Grease the bottom of a baking dish and place the onions. Top each onion with a generous amount of garlic and herbs mixture, grated Pecorino, diced Speck ham and a drizzle of with olive oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes to 160° Fan-Oven / Gas Mark 4 / 350 F.

For a crisp surface place your dish on the top tray.

Allow the onions to cool at room temperature before serving.