Recipe: Cornbread and Apple-Stuffed Onions

Cornbread and Apple-Stuffed Onions
rec.food.cooking/Jeane Bell (1996)
Serves 8

8 medium-large onions
1 tbsp butter
2 large apples, peeled, cored, grated
3/4 lb ground pork
3 cups day-old cornbread, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
11/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh sage
11/2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
2-3 cups beef broth or water

Peel the onions and cut a 1 inch slice off the stem end of each. Leave the root ends intact (this helps the onions to hold their shape while
cooking). Place the onions in a saucepan just large enough to hold them in a single layer; add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until the onions have begun to soften slightly and the outer layer of skin has become translucent, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a plate to drain and cool. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; add the butter and keep warm over low heat.

Preheat oven to 350F. When the onions are cool enough to handle, scoop out the centers with a sharp edge of a metal spoon, leaving a 1/2 inch thick shell. Reserve the centers.

Place the apple, pork, cornbread, salt, pepper, sage and thyme in a bowl. Mince half of the onion centers and add to the bowl (discard the remaining centers). Pour the reserved onion-cooking water over the mixture and mix well. The stuffing should be moist and pasty; if it is a bit dry, add a little of the beef broth or water. Place the filling into each onion, mounding it as high as you dare.

Place the filled onions upright in a baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour in enough beef broth or water to reach halfway up the onions.

Bake 45 minutes until the stuffing is well browned and has begun to pull away from the onions, and the skins are tender when pierced with a fork. Carefully remove the onions from the broth with a slotted spoon.