From Canada to Greece: The irresistible stuffed onion

This dish may come as a surprise in Canada, but it's worth trying because just one bite will make you fall in love. Salantourmasi, or stuffed onion, often graces Greek tables. Greeks usually opt for a filling made of rice and aromatic spices, but we've prepared an even more delicious version in our kitchen.

The slightly sweet onion layers conceal a delicious filling of ground meat, rice, and carrots. The entire dish is baked in tomato sauce, and all that's left is to savour the taste. There's no need to search for particular varieties of onions; regular ones will do. However, choose the largest ones possible.

This casserole is impossible to ignore. It smells lovely, looks impressive, and tastes so good that you won't be able to keep the recipe to yourself.

Ingredients:

• 6 large onions.

Filling:

• 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil,
• 1 onion,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• 3 carrots,
• 300 grams (about 0.66 lbs) of ground beef,
• 300 ml (about 10.5 oz) of passata,
• 160 grams (about 5.6 oz) of jasmine rice,
• half a cup of chopped parsley,
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste,
• ½ tablespoon of salt,
• 1 teaspoon of chili flakes.

Sauce:

• 1 litre (about 4.2 cups) of water from boiling onions,
• 300 ml (about 10.5 oz) of passata,
• 200 ml (about 0.8 cups) of stock,
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste,
• ¼ cup of honey.

Instructions:

Step 1. Peel the onions and cut them halfway through.

Step 2. Place the peels and cut onions in a pot and cover with water. Boil for about 15 minutes, then remove from the water and set aside to cool. Do not discard the water as it will be used to make the sauce.

Step 3. Start preparing the filling. Dice the onion and sauté it in a pan. Add finely chopped garlic and grated carrot, then fry for a while, adding the ground meat.

Step 4. Pour the passata over everything, add the rice, chopped parsley, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Mix thoroughly.

Step 5. Separate the previously cooked onions into layers. Place a portion of the filling on each layer.

Step 6. Add passata, honey, salt, and pepper to the water from boiling the onions and mix thoroughly.

Step 7. Line the bottom of an ovenproof dish with small pieces of onion leftover from stuffing. Arrange the prepared rolls and pour over the sauce. Place a piece of parchment paper and wrap the entire dish with aluminum foil. Put it in an oven preheated to 180°C (355°F) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. After this time, remove the cover and bake for another 20 minutes.

Step 8. Sprinkle the finished stuffed onion casserole with chopped parsley. Serve portions of the onion on a plate. Enjoy!