Stuffed Onions

Ingredients

• large yellow onions5 ea
• ground beef — 85% lean450 g
• short-grain rice — rinsed and drained200 g
• Roma tomatoes — finely chopped2 ea
• fresh parsley — chopped15 g
• Lebanese seven spice2 tsp
• ground coriander — 2 tsp5 g
• salt — 2 ½ tsp; divided15 g
• black pepper1 tsp
• olive oil60 ml
• tomato paste50 g
• pomegranate molasses30 ml

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut off both ends of the onions and make a shallow slit down one side into the core of each onion. Boil the onions for 8–10 minutes until slightly tender. Drain, cool, then gently separate into individual layers. You can save the core 2–3 layers for another use.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, tomatoes, parsley, seven spice, coriander, 1½ tsp of the salt and the black pepper. Mix until just combined.
3. Take one onion layer, place about 1–2 tablespoons of filling inside and roll gently (not too tight, as the rice needs room to expand). Repeat with the remaining onion layers and filling. You should get 6–7 layers per onion.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the stuffed onions seam-side down in a wide oven-safe skillet with a lid, packed snugly in a single layer or slightly overlapping.
5. In a bowl, whisk together 480 ml (2 cups) water, the olive oil, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and the remaining 1 tsp salt. Pour evenly over the onions.
6. Bake covered for 60 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more. Broil for 2–3 minutes if desired.
7. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon extra sauce over the top and serve.