This dish was inspired by an old Julia Child recipe that my mom used to make when I was a kid. Lots of stewed onions are bound with a tiny bit of Arborio rice, like a very loose risotto in which the onion, rather than the rice, is the key player. Finished with Gruyère and a touch of cream, it’s great with grilled lamb, rabbit, and even braised beef.

　　

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1 cup diced white onion, plus 6 cups thinly sliced white onions (about 1 1/2 pounds)

　　1 tablespoon thyme leaves

　　1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

　　1/4 cup Arborio rice

　　1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese

　　1/3 cup heavy cream

　　2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

　　Kosher salt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the butter, and when it foams, add the diced and sliced onions, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and the white pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook the onions gently, for about 10 minutes, stirring often. They should soften and wilt but not be allowed to color at all.

　　

Step 3

While the onions are cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice 5 minutes in the boiling water and drain well. Stir the rice into the onions.

　　

Step 4

Remove the pot from the heat. Cover it with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Cook in the oven 30 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Remove from the oven and let the soubise “rest,” covered, about 30 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Just before serving, uncover the soubise (it will emit lots of steam, so be careful). Heat it over medium heat, stirring once or twice. When the soubise is hot, stir in the cheese and cream. Taste for seasoning, and stir in the parsley.

　　Sunday Suppers at Lucques[by Suzanne Goin with Teri Gelber. Copyright © 2005 by Suzanne Goin. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved..Suzanne Goin graduated from Brown University. She was named Best Creative Chef by Boston magazine in 1994, one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine in 1999, and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She and her business partner, Caroline Styne, also run the restaurant A.O.C. in Los Angeles, where Goin lives with her husband, David Lentz.Teri Gelber is a food writer and public-radio producer living in Los Angeles.](http://astore.amazon.com/epistore-20/detail/1400042151)