Onion Gratin

This is proper Italian comfort food - thick rounds of onion baked under a crispy Parmesan and breadcrumb crust until soft, sweet, and golden. It's one of those dishes that's absurdly simple to make but tastes far more impressive than the effort involved. A pizza oven at around 200°C is ideal - the steady heat caramelises the onions slowly while the topping crisps up. Serve it alongside roast meats, with a steak, or honestly just with crusty bread and a glass of wine. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Ingredients

• 4 large onions (white or red), peeled
• 80g fine breadcrumbs
• 60g Parmesan, finely grated
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat your pizza oven to around 200°C. You want steady retained heat with no active flame.
2. Peel the onions and cut into thick rounds, about 1.5cm. Keep the rings together if you can - they look better and hold the topping.
3. Spread the onion rounds in a single layer in a baking dish or roasting tray.
4. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper, then drizzle in enough olive oil to make the mixture slightly damp and clumpy.
5. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the onions, pressing it down gently.
6. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top.
7. Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 20 minutes until the onions are softening.
8. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the topping is golden and crisp and the onions are completely tender. The foil prevents the top from burning while the onions cook through.