Volume 10, Issue 080 - April 21, 2006

Hello ,

I would like to thank Mary Humann and all the fine folks at the National Onion Association for all their hard work in helping us put together this week's Foodservice Daily Newsletter. Today we will talk about cutting and how to project onion yields. Check out the awesome quail recipe just below. One for the "Keepers" folder!

Next week we will take on the topic of great Greek food. Stay tuned and have a great weekend...you deserve it!

Cutting Onions:

To Cut an Onion:

• Peel off the outer layer of skin with a paring knife.
• Trim off the top and cut out the hard root end, except when dicing or mincing.

For Parallel Cuts:

• Cut the onion in half.
• Place the cut side on the cutting surface and make evenly spaced, lengthwise cuts from end to end.

For Perpendicular:

• Cut the onion in half.
• With cut side down, make evenly spaced cuts across the grain.

For Rings:

• Place a whole peeled onion on its side and slice crosswise to achieve 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick rings.
• Separate each slice into individual rings.

TIP: Save the centers for dicing and mincing.

For Diced or Minced:

• Place the peeled onion on its side and slice in half from top (neck) to root end.
• Place the cut side down. As your guiding hand holds the onion, make thin, equally spaced parallel cuts with the tip of the knife (picture 1). Be sure not to cut through the root end prematurely.
• Next, make 2 to 3 horizontal cuts parallel to the cutting surface (picture 2).
• Make crosswise cuts at the same intervals as the first parallel cuts, working towards the root end to create equally sized square pieces.
• Repeat process with other half of onion.

TIP:

• To mince, cut into fine pieces that measure 1/8 inch or smaller.
• For small dice, pieces should be 1/4 inch.
• For medium dice, pieces should be 1/2 inch.
• For large dice, the pieces may be 3/4 inch or larger.

TIP: The more uniform the onion pieces; the more evenly they will cook.

Remember that cut onions will lose some of their pungency over time.

Source: National Onion Association

Bring on the Onions! Onions for All Seasons and All Tastes. History, Health Facts, Trivia, Quotes, FAQ's, Handling Tips and Awesome Recipes! Onions-USA.org

Roast Quail with Onion-Cumin Jus

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Onion-Cumin Jus:

4 teaspoons cumin seed, lightly toasted
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
2 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground
1 tablespoon garlic, fresh minced
2 teaspoons thyme, fresh minced
2 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chicken demi glace (reduced stock)
2 1/2 cups quail or chicken stock (unsalted)

Quail:

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, lightly toasted
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground
24 quail, whole (3 to 4 ounces each)

Preparation:

In heavy saucepan, combine cumin seed, butter, onions, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook over low heat until onions are soft and pale golden brown about 10 to 15 minutes. Add thyme, honey, vinegar, chicken demi glace and stock. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and purée in blender until smooth. Set aside and hold warm, or cool and refrigerate for later use.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In small bowl, combine cumin seed, salt and pepper. Pat quail dry, sprinkle lightly with seasoning blend. Place quail in pan and cook for 10 minutes or until done.

To serve, place two prepared quail on one cup of cooked couscous. Drizzle with sauce and arrange vegetable around quail.

Source: National Onion Association

Yields and Conversions:

Source: Idaho Eastern Oregon Onion Yield Data

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Three Onion Pot Pie

Makes 12 pies (12 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) salted butter or margarine
2 cups (8 ounces) white onions, diced 1/2 inch
2 cups (8 ounces) red onions, diced 1/2 inch
2 cups (8 ounces) yellow onions, diced 1/2 inch
2 cups (10 ounces) carrots, peeled, sliced 1/2 inch rounds
3 cups (8 ounces) mushrooms, quartered
2 cups (10 ounces) celery, sliced 1/2 inch
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) red bell peppers, diced 1/2 inch
4 cups (2 pounds) chicken meat, boneless, diced 1 inch
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) flour, white all purpose

Sauce:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) microbrew wheat beer
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) cream
2 cups (16 ounces) chicken broth
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) chicken base
2 tablespoons (1/8 ounce) fresh thyme, minced
1/4 cup (1/4 ounce) Italian parsley, minced
3/4 cup (3/4 ounce) fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, fine ground
1 1/2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) salt
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 cup (2 ounces) green onions, sliced 1/8 inch

4 1/2 cups (36 ounces) pie crust dough, prepared

Preparation:

Combine first set of ingredients, except for flour, in large heavy saucepan. Place over medium high heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add flour and stir well to combine with vegetables. Add "sauce" ingredients and stir well. Bring to simmer, while stirring frequently. Let cook for 10 minutes after coming to a simmer.

Place 10 ounces of filling in each of 12 individual baking dishes. Set aside and cool slightly. Divide dough into 12 pieces weighing 3 ounces each. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick to fit baking dishes. Place rolled dough over cooled filling and crimp around edges to seal. Cut three small slits into the top to let steam escape while baking.

When all pies are prepared, place in pre-heated 375 degrees F. oven and bake for 45 minutes until crust is browned. Serve immediately, or cool then re-heat in 350 degrees F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes until hot. While re-heating, you may need to cover loosely with foil to prevent burning the crust.

Source: National Onion Association