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Calçots (Spring Onion)

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Margi Cintrano View Drop Down
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    Posted: 26 February 2013 at 10:57
 
 
CALÇOTS ... SPRING ONIONS ...
 
( pronounced: kal sots ) ...  
 
RECIPE:  ESCALIVADA ...
 
CHARCOAL OR OVEN GRILLED
CALÇOTS ...
 
 
Photo Courtesy: Margaux Cintrano
 
CALÇOTS FROM CATALONIA ... designation or origin dating back to the Greeks and Romans ... Girona, and northern Barcelona ... and parts of northern Tarragona ...
 
 
RECIPE ...
 
ESCALIVADA signifes grilling over charcoal in Catalan, so this dish is esentially no more than char grilled spring onions ... These vegetables are prepared over coals and / or on a Hibatchi ... or today, on state of the art BBQs.
 
1 1/2 tblsps. Balsamic Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fine grain to taste
6 fl. oz. of Evoo or 180 Ml.
6 small juicy red tomatoes
4 small Japanese style eggplants or zucchini
3 red bell peppers
2 green Italian or bell peppers
 
1) place the whole peppers and the eggplants or zucchini or both directly onto a gently glowing outdoor fire of charcoal embers or fire wood or on BBQ or hot oven
 
2) cook turning frequently with tongs, until the skins is very dark and the veggies are tender to touch
 
3) cut a cross into the top of each tomato and place them on hibatchi or BBQ or hot oven for 5  minutes
 
4) remove the bell peps and the eggplants and the zucchini; and peel off the charred skins
 
5) tear peppers into strips ( virutas ) and thinly slice the aubergine or eggplant
 
6) arrange on warm serving tray and place the tomatoes in the centre
 
7) whisk the Evoo with remaining ingredients and pour on liberally
 
8) TO SERVE ESCALIVADA COLD: season with salt and pepper and moisten with Evoo and it can be served in similar fashion to antipasti; and this dish is traditionally served with Catalan Ali Oli homemade.
 
*** RECIPE ALI OLI: IBERIA SECTION - by: Margi Cintrano.
 
*** one can sub Cipollini Onions from Italia, which are indigenious to Italia, and are purchasable from: www.specialtyproduce.com ( San Diego, California )
 
Enjoy,
Margi.
 
 
 
Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.
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Rod Franklin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rod Franklin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 February 2013 at 11:36
I've seen onions that look like that here, but I've never purchased any. I've not looked at them enough to notice the name of them either. Now, maybe I should!
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MarkR View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MarkR Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 February 2013 at 11:46
I see onions just like that in the store here, but they are not sweet onions. At least I don't think so. I'll have to look again also.
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Margi Cintrano View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 February 2013 at 11:47
Mark and Rod,
 
They are a lovely sweet onion ... Wonderful aromatically too ...
 
You should definitely enquire and buy a bunch ... and either BBQ or charcoal them, or oven them with a little Evoo, sea salt and Balsamic Vinegar ... They are also extremely healthy too ! 
 
Calçots from Catalonia are sweet & aromatic; however, Celbolletas are similar in taste to a white onion except they look like photo above ... I believe they are called Spring Onions in California ... I do not know about Florida or Mid West.
 
Iberia may export them --- You can check with your Farmer´s Markets or:
 
 
 
 
Margi.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 February 2013 at 12:17
In the States similar looking onions are usually marketed as "spring onions." Basically they are regular onions that have started to bulb. But they are not the same as calcots. Closest to those would be in you could get (or grow) Vidalias to that size.
 
 
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Margi Cintrano View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 February 2013 at 12:57
As previously stated these onions are sweet & indigenious to Greece and Italia which occupied Girona and Barcelona in ancient times & Adriatic Italy.
 
 
There are 2 indigenious Italian onions, which are more closely related to the Catalan variety; called:
 
Lampascioni which hail from Puglia ( A pale lavendar reddish variety )
 
Cipollini ( available in San Diego, California from: www.specialtyproduce.com )
 
 
Vidalias are not calçots however, are lovely like the cebolleta too which has a white onion profile.
 
 
Thanks for your feedback,
Margi 
Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.
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