Grilled Salmon With Baked Onions

By Sophie Dahl

There is something almost pudding-y about a slow-cooked onion with the mellow sweetness that the oven coaxes out. I could also happily eat this cold the following day.

Photography by Jan Baldwin
  • Serves: 2
  • Preparation time: 5 minutes
  • Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 small yellow onions
  • Salt and pepper
  • 142ml single/light cream
  • 50g grated Parmesan or Gruyère
  • 2 fat skinless fillets of wild salmon
  • Olive oil
  • 1 lemon

Method

  1. To begin, peel the onions and boil them whole in a pan of water for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.
  2. When the onions are tender, take them out of the water and cut them in half. Place them in a heatproof shallow dish, season them, add the cream and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Put them in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  3. When the onions have been cooking for 15 minutes, wash and season the salmon. Pour a generous slick of oil on each fillet and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over each. Heat a grill pan and sear the salmon for about five minutes on each side.
  4. By now the onions should be bubbling and golden brown on top. Serve on a plate with the salmon and a plain green salad, with a sharp vinaigrette.