Ingredients
| 1 dessertspoon (2 teaspoons) caster/granulated sugar | |
| 15g butter | |
| 2 bay leaves | |
| 450g Italian bortonni onions (see Note below) or shallots, peeled | |
| 50ml white wine | |
| 100g black grapes, halved and deseeded | |
| a handful fresh flat-leafed parsley, chopped (optional) | |
| sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| bread, to serve |
This is a typical antipasto dish eaten throughout the whole of Italy. It makes a good preserve, covered with olive oil in jars. Nothing could be more delicious, it is one of my most requested recipes and just happens to be the simplest.
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Instructions
| 1. | Heat the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan with a tablespoon of water until it caramelises and becomes the colour of hay. |
| 2. | Immediately stir in the butter and bay leaves. |
| 3. | Toss the onions into this mixture for a couple of minutes, then pour in the wine. |
| 4. | Season, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. |
| 5. | Add the grapes and simmer for a further 10 minutes, with the lid off, to reduce the liquid. |
| 6. | Adjust the seasoning and remove the bay leaves. |
| 7. | Pour into a dish and garnish with parsley, if liked. |
| 8. | Serve hot or cold with bread for mopping up the delicious juices. |
An extract from Cucina
del Veneto by Ursula
Ferrigno, published
by Ryland Peters &
Small. Photography
by Clare Winfield ©
Ryland Peters & Small.
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