SPONSORED CONTENT
Advantage: Onions
Embrace the ease and impact of value-added onion products
SPONSORED CONTENT
Advantage: Onions
Embrace the ease and impact of value-added onion products
By Flavor & The Menu
December 6, 2023
By Flavor & The Menu
December 6, 2023
Whether you’re adding a classic French onion soup to the menu or leaning into the fermented foods trend by showcasing pickled red onions on a shareable flatbread, you’re banking on the enduring flavor power of this endlessly versatile ingredient. This may not be headline news, but amid the continual flash and noise of the next hot thing, it’s important to remember that menu success is often built on the quieter flavor voice of pantry mainstays like onions.
Of course, flavor is just one key component in that menu success equation; operators also factor in product quality and consistency, along with kitchen efficiency. When working with onions, the ease and impact of a value-added product can be a key differentiator. Gills Onions offers foodservice operators a full line of fresh onions in various formats: whole peeled, sliced, slivered, diced and diced pickled. While each cut form delivers consistent sizes and yields (plus improved prep time and a reduced risk of knife-related injuries), diced pickled red onions are worth a closer look, given their inherent flavor impact.
This Onion Agrodolce Flatbread with Bacon and Gruyere doubles down on fermentation, using both Gills Diced Pickled Red Onions and additional pickling liquid in the flavor build.
THE ACID TEST
“I believe the addition of acidity and fermented food in general are having a moment,” declares Chef Michael Ponzio, Executive Chef, Park Ridge Country Club, in Illinois. “Onions are one of the easiest and most approachable items to pickle, which makes them a go-to on menus when chefs want to add some additional acid and texture to a dish.” Ponzio predicts greater use of pickled onions as a flavor builder as chefs continue to explore different global cuisines.
“Pickled red onions have an amazing balance between simple and complex,” Ponzio continues. “If they are pickled simply with vinegar, sugar and water, they bring a delicious bite, while preserving their sweet red onion flavor. When adding other robust ingredients, like clove or garlic, in the pickling process, the pickled red onions will take on some of those characteristics, while still carrying a red onion-forward flavor.” Gills pickles its diced red onions in water, citric acid, sugar, salt and natural flavors. Each batch stays fresh for 30 days in the refrigerator.
Pickled red onions already have quite a menu reach, perhaps more than some might realize. For Ponzio, they are a must on salads and tacos. “Odds are, if you are getting street tacos from a food truck, you’ll find pickled onions. Rich tacos, like carnitas or birria really benefit from the addition of pickled red onions.” Similarly, when salads feature blue cheese or bacon, the acidity from pickled onions cuts through the fattiness of those ingredients, allowing all the flavors to shine in a more balanced manner, he says.
In the Tangy Lamburger with Pickled Onion Relish (left), the onions add a bright sharp flavor to the patty itself, while the topping creates more complex layers of flavor to the overall build. The Grilled Sharp Cheddar Sandwich with Onion-Applesauce Chutney (right) offers an intriguing combination of pickled red onions with apples, cloves, cinnamon sticks and coriander seeds.
“I also love to use pickled red onions in heavier sandwiches, like a porchetta or smoked short rib sandwich,” says Ponzio, explaining, “Any time you add acid to a dish, it opens up your taste buds. In a sandwich, the onions allow your palate to taste all the layers: the bread, the onions and then the center-of-the-sandwich ingredients. Your palate can experience more of the flavors in a dish through this welcome separation.
Ponzio finds pickled onions poised for expansion. “Barbecue is absolutely prime for pickled onions,” he says. “Especially if you are not big on using large amounts of sauce. Barbecue sauces tend to be bold and acidic, but they don’t add any texture, the way that pickled onions do.” He suggests topping a smoked beef short rib or pulled pork with a pile of pickled onions. “It will enhance the meat and smoke flavors, while allowing the season to shine.”
Vegetarian dishes are another area of opportunity. Ponzio points to dishes that feature creamy, rich baba ghanouj or hummus. “Using pickled onions with these will transform the dish from a mouthful of mushy, blended flavors to a well-defined taste experience,” he says. Consider, he suggests, a grilled mushroom pita with zucchini, hummus and pickled onions. “It will feel like a lighter meal, but with bold flavors.”
CHOOSE YOUR DIY
While the diced pickled red onions from Gills Onions eliminates considerable kitchen prep work, chefs may opt to play with different pickling liquids in pursuit of flavor exploration. “One of my favorite alternative pickling liquids for onions is dill pickle juice. Pile dill-pickled onions on a smashed burger for a punch of flavor,” suggests Ponzio, who is also a fan of using lime juice to pickle onions. “Lime-pickled onions are a fun and delicious addition to a refreshing chilled seafood dish, like ceviche or a crudo.”
Even when choosing their own pickling medium, chefs can continue to reap the back-of-house benefits of value-added onion products from Gills, especially diced, sliced and slivered formats. Labor savings is only the most obvious advantage. Consistency is the real key. Gills Onions delivers on consistent cut sizes, yields, keep times, price—and, most important, quality. And when chefs can capitalize on such bottom-line benefits, it frees up their imagination for creative recipe ideation.
The ease of value-added onions from Gills can lead to inspired menu moves. The build of this Aerated Beer Cheese (left) starts with diced white onions, adding butter, flour, milk, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper. Blended and injected with nitrous oxide, it produces a tasty and eye-catching foam cheese, perfect to accompany pretzels, warm bread, crudité or another appetizer favorite. Chefs can also leverage the trending popularity of the Oaxacan flavor pantry with a dish like this Oaxaca Steak Sandwich (right), which looks to sliced white onions to deliver a sharp bite.
Ponzio sees a wide range of other menu applications that will benefit from high quality pre-cut onions. “Live fuel cooking, like barbecue and wood-roasted pizza is continuing to grow,” he notes, musing on how to showcase onions—and take advantage of value-added pre-cut formats. “Diced onions in a bacon jam could be served with a barbecue platter or slivered onions could top a Pizza Bianca with Parmigiana-Reggiano and Sausage.”
Certain time-honored onion-forward favorites are still in the menu mix. “I think the classics are starting to come back big time right now,” Ponzio declares. “There is no better onion dish than a bubbling bowl of French onion soup. When I make this, I bring in sliced onions, because I can control my yield, recipe and final product. The Gills’ pre-cut onions have great integrity.”
To discover more information, menu inspirations and recipes featuring value-added onion products, visit Gills Onions.
Whether you’re adding a classic French onion soup to the menu or leaning into the fermented foods trend by showcasing pickled red onions on a shareable flatbread, you’re banking on the enduring flavor power of this endlessly versatile ingredient. This may not be headline news, but amid the continual flash and noise of the next hot thing, it’s important to remember that menu success is often built on the quieter flavor voice of pantry mainstays like onions.
Of course, flavor is just one key component in that menu success equation; operators also factor in product quality and consistency, along with kitchen efficiency. When working with onions, the ease and impact of a value-added product can be a key differentiator. Gills Onions offers foodservice operators a full line of fresh onions in various formats: whole peeled, sliced, slivered, diced and diced pickled. While each cut form delivers consistent sizes and yields (plus improved prep time and a reduced risk of knife-related injuries), diced pickled red onions are worth a closer look, given their inherent flavor impact.
This Onion Agrodolce Flatbread with Bacon and Gruyere doubles down on fermentation, using both Gills Diced Pickled Red Onions and additional pickling liquid in the flavor build.
THE ACID TEST
“I believe the addition of acidity and fermented food in general are having a moment,” declares Chef Michael Ponzio, Executive Chef, Park Ridge Country Club, in Illinois. “Onions are one of the easiest and most approachable items to pickle, which makes them a go-to on menus when chefs want to add some additional acid and texture to a dish.” Ponzio predicts greater use of pickled onions as a flavor builder as chefs continue to explore different global cuisines.
“Pickled red onions have an amazing balance between simple and complex,” Ponzio continues. “If they are pickled simply with vinegar, sugar and water, they bring a delicious bite, while preserving their sweet red onion flavor. When adding other robust ingredients, like clove or garlic, in the pickling process, the pickled red onions will take on some of those characteristics, while still carrying a red onion-forward flavor.” Gills pickles its diced red onions in water, citric acid, sugar, salt and natural flavors. Each batch stays fresh for 30 days in the refrigerator.
Pickled red onions already have quite a menu reach, perhaps more than some might realize. For Ponzio, they are a must on salads and tacos. “Odds are, if you are getting street tacos from a food truck, you’ll find pickled onions. Rich tacos, like carnitas or birria really benefit from the addition of pickled red onions.” Similarly, when salads feature blue cheese or bacon, the acidity from pickled onions cuts through the fattiness of those ingredients, allowing all the flavors to shine in a more balanced manner, he says.
In the Tangy Lamburger with Pickled Onion Relish (left), the onions add a bright sharp flavor to the patty itself, while the topping creates more complex layers of flavor to the overall build. The Grilled Sharp Cheddar Sandwich with Onion-Applesauce Chutney (right) offers an intriguing combination of pickled red onions with apples, cloves, cinnamon sticks and coriander seeds.
“I also love to use pickled red onions in heavier sandwiches, like a porchetta or smoked short rib sandwich,” says Ponzio, explaining, “Any time you add acid to a dish, it opens up your taste buds. In a sandwich, the onions allow your palate to taste all the layers: the bread, the onions and then the center-of-the-sandwich ingredients. Your palate can experience more of the flavors in a dish through this welcome separation.
Ponzio finds pickled onions poised for expansion. “Barbecue is absolutely prime for pickled onions,” he says. “Especially if you are not big on using large amounts of sauce. Barbecue sauces tend to be bold and acidic, but they don’t add any texture, the way that pickled onions do.” He suggests topping a smoked beef short rib or pulled pork with a pile of pickled onions. “It will enhance the meat and smoke flavors, while allowing the season to shine.”
Vegetarian dishes are another area of opportunity. Ponzio points to dishes that feature creamy, rich baba ghanouj or hummus. “Using pickled onions with these will transform the dish from a mouthful of mushy, blended flavors to a well-defined taste experience,” he says. Consider, he suggests, a grilled mushroom pita with zucchini, hummus and pickled onions. “It will feel like a lighter meal, but with bold flavors.”
CHOOSE YOUR DIY
While the diced pickled red onions from Gills Onions eliminates considerable kitchen prep work, chefs may opt to play with different pickling liquids in pursuit of flavor exploration. “One of my favorite alternative pickling liquids for onions is dill pickle juice. Pile dill-pickled onions on a smashed burger for a punch of flavor,” suggests Ponzio, who is also a fan of using lime juice to pickle onions. “Lime-pickled onions are a fun and delicious addition to a refreshing chilled seafood dish, like ceviche or a crudo.”
Even when choosing their own pickling medium, chefs can continue to reap the back-of-house benefits of value-added onion products from Gills, especially diced, sliced and slivered formats. Labor savings is only the most obvious advantage. Consistency is the real key. Gills Onions delivers on consistent cut sizes, yields, keep times, price—and, most important, quality. And when chefs can capitalize on such bottom-line benefits, it frees up their imagination for creative recipe ideation.
The ease of value-added onions from Gills can lead to inspired menu moves. The build of this Aerated Beer Cheese (left) starts with diced white onions, adding butter, flour, milk, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper. Blended and injected with nitrous oxide, it produces a tasty and eye-catching foam cheese, perfect to accompany pretzels, warm bread, crudité or another appetizer favorite. Chefs can also leverage the trending popularity of the Oaxacan flavor pantry with a dish like this Oaxaca Steak Sandwich (right), which looks to sliced white onions to deliver a sharp bite.
Ponzio sees a wide range of other menu applications that will benefit from high quality pre-cut onions. “Live fuel cooking, like barbecue and wood-roasted pizza is continuing to grow,” he notes, musing on how to showcase onions—and take advantage of value-added pre-cut formats. “Diced onions in a bacon jam could be served with a barbecue platter or slivered onions could top a Pizza Bianca with Parmigiana-Reggiano and Sausage.”
Certain time-honored onion-forward favorites are still in the menu mix. “I think the classics are starting to come back big time right now,” Ponzio declares. “There is no better onion dish than a bubbling bowl of French onion soup. When I make this, I bring in sliced onions, because I can control my yield, recipe and final product. The Gills’ pre-cut onions have great integrity.”
To discover more information, menu inspirations and recipes featuring value-added onion products, visit Gills Onions.
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