"New" onions?

[hansjoakim]

Hi all,

I'm looking at Robuchon's recipe for salmon au champagne (from the Complete Robuchon), and the ingredient list calls for "new onions". What exactly is a "new onion"? I'm not very well versed in the English culinary vocabulary, so I wanted to run this by you before doing something awfully stupid in the kitchen... Could it be another name for green onions?

Thanks in advance!

[crinoidgirl]

Hi Hans -

As I understand it, a "new onion" is a young onion. In other words, the "bulb" part is bigger than a green onion, but not as mature as what you might think of the "classic" onion.

http://www.dreamstime.com/theyoungonion-image262598

I have seen them with bigger bulbs than the picture at that link. They tend to be a lot sweeter and milder than the classic onion.

[BadRabbit]

I always assumed "new onions" were what I generally refer to as "spring onions."

[Lisa Shock]

I can get them at the local Mexican food market, in season. The top looks like a green onion, but the bulb is much more developed, maybe up to 2" in diameter. They have a stronger flavor than green onion, yet retain the fresh 'green' character so they are different from completely mature storage onions.

[AAQuesada]

Any onion that is fresh from the ground. IE.. has not been cured to make it a storage onion and develop it's thicker skin. See 'new potato'

I think of them as milder myself.

[hansjoakim]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies!

I'll see what I can find - I might just end up using spring onions if that's the closest thing I'll find.