Where to buy a special type of onion.

by Roger
(Aldershot England)

Last night (23 Feb 2012) we had an excellent TV programme by Raymond Blanc - a very well known (over here) French chef with many Michelin stars to his name over many years.

The programme showed him preparing a meal for the great and the good of Alsace and it was held in Riquewihr - a place we, and I guess you, know well.

His food used completely local ingredients and to a lover of food and Alsace, it was a delight from start to finish.

One of the dishes - a baked onion tart - required, well onions!

So he went off to an onion grower who had many different varieties available.

He looked at the "onion mulhouse" but it was too strong for what he wanted so opted for a "chicken thigh" onion (cuisse poule)which is a long red type - reasonably mild and good for salads.

Have you any idea as to where I could buy some when we take our tenth visit to Barr in as many years?

All of the google searches only show "how to cook an onion tarte" - so over to you to help us please.

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Onions in Alsace
by: Roger

Thanks for the input Suzele.

I contacted the programme's team and they advised me that they went to Marc Zwickert in Holzwihr - not far from Colmar.

He sells from his place in the "high street" - Rue Principal" and also from some nearby markets.

So we now have an additional port of call this June though we are not too sure which onions will survive the ten day trip returning to England.

In all probability it will be a case of the car not surviving the onions on the way back so we will be careful by selecting low odour ones!!.

Roger

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Onions in the US
by: Anonymous

I have seen the "long red" onion you described in your post.

Here, in the U.S., we call them torpedo onions...they are shaped somewhat like a torpedo and are red in color. I suspect that a "sweet Italian" red onion can be used in the same application.

I generally see the red torpedo onions at the farmer's markets in the spring..... I never see them in the supermarkets - neither a large nor small market - unless the market is a very small "mom and pop" market who happens to have a relationship with farmers.

A "chain" market would definitely not carry it.

Hope this helps.

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Buying Onions in Alsace
by: Suzele

Hi Roger,

I wish I could help you here, but I have never seen these sorts of onions on sale in the grocery stores in Alsace...

We have yellow onions, red onions, white onions and shallots of course.

The average tarte a l'oignon or zwebele waije maker here in Alsace would have to choose between the onions listed above.

It's entirely possible that you might find them somewhere in a grocery store here...most likely in a larger one that carries many different varieties of produce.

I'll just have a look in my trusted Alsatian cookbooks first...and sorry but there's not even a suggestion as to what type of onion to use.

I suspect that a three star chef had better be particular about what produce he uses if he's going to charge the prices he does, but an Alsatian onion tart doesn't call for it traditionally.

But please post pictures of your onion tarts!! Would love to see them! : )

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