Baby onions make a super accompaniment to many dishes - cold meat and salads, hot roasts or a barbecue.

Ingredients

• 500 grams baby onions
• ¼ cup oil, preferably olive
• ½ cup port
• 2 tablespoons wholeseed mustard
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• pepper to season

Method

1. Peel the baby onions, leaving the core end intact so they don't fall to pieces during the cooking. If peeling onions makes you cry, try chewing on a crust of bread. True, it works!
2. Heat the oil in a heat-proof casserole or heavy-based saucepan. When hot, add the onions and cook them over a high heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. The onions must be well browned, even burned. Lower the heat and cook a further 10 minutes at a more moderate temperature.
3. Add the port, mustard and sugar and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently, so as not to disturb the outside layer on the onions and to form a thick glaze.
4. Season with pepper and serve hot.

Cooks Tips

- Use an ordinary wholeseed mustard, or one without extra flavourings like beer or herbs.