Christmas at River Cottage Christmas at River Cottage episode guide

4. Onion stockings

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4. Onion stockings (Image 4 of 8)

Back at the cottage Hugh and Mark the gardener are almost brought to tears as they prepare some onion plaits. It's all going to pot until green fingered girls, Emma and Victoria, turn up with a few pairs of tights… to store the onions in. "First one to the gusset," calls Hugh as the gang get stuffing.

"The onion is one of the most hard-working vegetables," praises Hugh, "yet they get so little credit for what they do for us." Eager to give some onion love Hugh is promoting the bulb from ingredient to main event.

Careful to keep their bauble shape, Hugh halves the onions and puts them sliced side down in a roasting tin with some good oil, juniper, bay leaves, pepper, port and brown sugar and roasts them for an hour and a half, basting as he goes. Delicious or 'onion nectar' as Hugh would say.