SHOPPING LIST: Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1, Chapter 2 (Onions, Garlic and Alliums)

Onions are cheap, so buy plenty (red and brown) to practise on. Leeks, spring onions and garlic as listed. Lion-marked eggs for the frittata.

Quick pickled red onion (makes a small jar)
[ ] 1 medium red onion
[ ] 100 ml cider or white wine vinegar
[ ] 100 ml water
[ ] 1 tbsp sugar
[ ] 1 tsp salt

Garlic and herb dressing (about 100 ml)
[ ] 2 garlic cloves
[ ] ¼ tsp salt
[ ] 1 lemon, juice (about 3 tbsp)
[ ] 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
[ ] 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
[ ] 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
[ ] 1 pinch black pepper

Simple onion soup with cheese toast (2 portions)
[ ] 3 onions (about 450 g), halved and thinly sliced
[ ] 1 tbsp olive oil
[ ] 15 g butter
[ ] 1 pinch salt
[ ] 1 tsp thyme leaves
[ ] 500 ml hot beef or vegetable stock
[ ] 2 slices of bread
[ ] 40 g Gruyère or Cheddar, grated

Leek and spring onion frittata (2 portions)
[ ] 1 medium leek, trimmed
[ ] 3 spring onions
[ ] 1 tsp olive oil
[ ] 4 Lion-marked eggs
[ ] 30 g Cheddar, grated
[ ] 1 pinch salt and pepper

For the experiments
[ ] 4 more onions (some to chill)
[ ] More garlic, bread to taste the dressing