Get The Humble Onion Pizza Ideas

Chris Decker, Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner Truly Pizza

When I was thinking of what to make next, I could not take my mind off onions. The most humble of all ingredients… always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Think about all the dishes that an onion is in to elevate that said dish. Think about how, as human beings, we are indeed like an onion where you must peel back our layers to get the real deal. Onions are used all over the world, in all types of cuisine. They are cheap, easy to cook with and readily available. What’s not to love?

I wanted to highlight this ingredient and use it in as many ways as possible. We could start with an onion cream sauce, talk caramelized onion, then sautéed leeks, then oven roasted shallot and cipollini, then scallion, then fried shallot for some crunch.  So many ways to get into this realm!

Here are some onion ideas to try out.

• Caramelized Onion.

Peel and thinly slice 2 large yellow onions and place in a pan with a half stick of butter on a very low setting. Cook for up to two hours, stirring gently until the onions turn a beautiful golden brown. Make sure to keep an eye on them as they can go from beautiful to burnt pretty quickly with too much heat or too much time on the stove.

• Sautéed Leeks.

Trim the white part of the leek away from the thicker green leaves. Thinly slice the white part and add to a pan on low heat with some good quality olive oil. Sauté for 10-15 on med/low heat, stirring as necessary not to burn. When leeks are translucent and soft, turn off heat and lightly season with salt and pepper.

• Oven Roasted Shallot and Cipollini.

Cut the cipollini and shallot into quarters and toss in olive oil, add to a roasting sheet pan and cook in your pizza oven at desired temperature. I put a rack under my pan to prevent them from burning (we cook at 550-600 F).

• Fried Shallot.

Using a Mandolin thinnest setting, slice two or three shallots and toss in seasoned flour. Fry at 350 F until they turn a light brown. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

• Curly Scallion.

Trim the root end of the scallion and lay scallions flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise 4-5 times to create strips. Add all the strips to a bowl and cover with ice water. Within minutes, the scallion should begin to curl. Remove scallion from ice water and pat dry.

Use these ingredients on pizza or in dishes to elevate your menu!

Chris Decker is Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner at Truly Pizza in Dana Point, California. @everythingbutanchovies