Bean Salad With Roasted Red Onions (Insalata di fagiolini con cipolle rosse arrostite)

Serves 4

"I think green beans aren't shown off to the best of their ability in this country; usually they're just boiled and served with a knob of butter. It's a pity, when you realise they have so much more to give."

"I think green beans aren't shown off to the best of their ability in this country; usually they're just boiled and served with a knob of butter. It's a pity, when you realise they have so much more to give."

2 shallots, finely chopped
50ml (2fl oz) red wine vinegar
3 red onions
125ml (4fl oz) olive oil
750ml (1 ¹/ ₄ pints) red wine
100ml (3 ¹/ ₂fl oz) white wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
250g (9oz) extra-fine green or yellow beans
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus parmesan shavings to garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the shallots in a small, non-metallic bowl and pour the red wine vinegar over them. Cover and leave to marinate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F) or gas mark 6. Wash the red onions, but don't peel them, then rub them with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Place them in a roasting tin, cover tightly with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until tender. Leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the skins, trying not to squash the onions too much.

Put the wine in a saucepan and boil until it has reduced to a few tablespoons and become shiny and syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the white wine vinegar and sugar. Slice the roasted onions, place them in a deep bowl and cover with the reduced wine mixture.

Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, until just tender, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Add the remaining olive oil to the marinated shallots. Toss the shallot mixture with the green beans and grated parmesan and season to taste.

Arrange the onions on 4 serving plates and top with the green beans and shavings of parmesan.