Stuffed Bamberg onions

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 large onions (butcher’s onions)
• 1 bunch of parsley
• Marjoram, fresh
• 500 g minced beef or pork
• 8 slice(s) smoked bacon, thinner
• 2 eggs
• 2 rolls from the previous day
• ½ liter vegetable broth
• 250 ml beer (smoked beer)
• 1 tsp mustard, medium hot
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• Butter for frying
• Flour

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours

A hearty Bamberg specialty with minced meat

Soak the rolls in milk. Finely chop the parsley and marjoram. Peel the onions and cut off about 1 cm of the leaf and root sides so that the onions can stand upright. Hollow out the onions using a knife, spoon, or meatball cutter, taking care not to burst. The outer edges should be about 10 mm wide. Finely chop the onion flesh and sauté in butter with the marjoram and parsley until translucent. Add the minced meat, mustard, eggs, and soaked rolls and mix well. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stuff the onions with the minced meat mixture and place in an ovenproof dish with a lid. Heat the vegetable stock and pour it around the onions. They should be half submerged in liquid. Place the onions in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius and bake for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the onions. Baste the onions with the cooking juices occasionally. Pour the smoked beer over the onions and cook for about 30 minutes, basting the onions with the meat juices several times. Once cooked, remove from the oven and keep warm. Drain and reserve the meat juices. Stir the flour into the meat juices, bring to a boil, stir until smooth, and season with salt and pepper. Fry the smoked bacon until crispy on both sides. Place the onions on plates. Arrange the bacon on top and pour over the sauce. Serve with homemade mashed potatoes or mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, white cabbage, or ‘Bumberskraut’.