Watch our historic foodways staff cook this recipe, then try it at home
Eighteenth-century cookbooks sometimes listed a mother recipe followed by several variations. Here, the original recipe was simply called “Buttered Onions.” This one combines onions and apples which sweeten while they cook. Serve it as a side dish with roasted chicken or over pork chops as a chutney.
18th Century
Slice some Apples, and mince your Onions, but more Apples than Onions. Bake them with Bread, tying a Paper over the Pan: When baked butter them, adding Sugar and boiled Currants. Serve them on Sippets, and strew over them fine Sugar and Powdered Cinnamon.
— “Adam’s Luxury and Eve’s Cookery: Or, The Kitchen-Garden Display’d . . .To Which is Added the Physical Virtues of Every Herb and Root.” pg.150
21st Century
Ingredients
- 3 medium Granny Smith or other baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh currants or dried currants plumped with boiling water
- 2 medium onions, minced
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
- toast points, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the minced onions, apples, currants, sugar and cinnamon in a buttered ovenproof pan with lid. Dot the top with butter. Bake covered in a 375-400°F oven for 15—20 minutes or until tender.
- Serve hot with toast points.