They say it's amazing

I don't like onions.  Nope.  Not at all.  Not raw, not cooked, not baked, not boiled.  Never have.  The rule at our house, when I was growing up, was that you had to eat three bites of everything - whether you liked it or not.  The ONLY exception was onions.  Mom decided that onions were not nutritionally necessary and it was okay if I didn't eat any, ever.

Mom, on the other hand, loved onions.  In fact, she used to brag that when she was little, she would hide under the farmhouse table (with its long flowing tablecloth) and sneak Walla Walla sweet onions from the 50 lb bag that was stored there and eat them like apples.  (I just can't imagine anything worse!)  Of course, everything came to screeching halt when Grandma figured out where mom was hiding and what she was doing under the tablecloth.  That also solved the question of what was happening to her Walla Walla Sweets.

Mom's love affair with onions never faded.  So, when Mom & Dad's 50th anniversary came around it just seemed appropriate that we should have an onion dish.  I did my usual search through recipe books and food magazines.  But, I just couldn't find "the" recipe.

About that same time, we were given a gift certificate to eat at a restaurant "Caprial's" owned by a local chef/cooking show host.  They had a wonderful, delicious menu.  We loved it immediately.  And that gave me an idea.

A quick search on the internet got me to their restaurant's website.  Miraculously, they had posted loads of their recipes (from both the restaurant and the cooking show) on the website.  I went to town, picking out the menu for the anniversary party.

This caramelized onion gratin immediately grabbed my attention.  Of course, I had no intention of eating any of it.  And, I didn't.  But everyone else raved about it.  So, if you like onions, give this one a try.  They say it's amazing!

Caramelized Onion Gratin

INGREDIENTS

2	T olive oil
4	lg onions, julienne (Walla Walla Sweets)
2	cups heavy cream
4	eggs
3	cloves garlic
1	cup bread crumbs
¼	cup grated parmesan cheese
1	t cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a very large sauté pan over high heat until smoking hot.  Add onions and let brown well before moving – about 2-3 minutes.  Onions should be caramelized, but not burned.  When caramelized on all sides, place onions in a greased casserole dish.

2. In a small bowl whisk together cream, eggs, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour over onions.

3. Sprinkle onion and cream mixture with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

4. Bake in a 350° oven for 30-40 minutes.