There are cooking signals that seem unimportant… until the day you explore their secret. This is exactly what occured to me with a strange rountine of my grandmother: every time she got ready a soup or broth, she delicately pushed one or two cloves into a whole onion. At the time, I found it strange. But once I ate the dish, I knew: this small sign alters everything. And since then, I haven’t been without it.
A French culinary tradition
The French have a knack for promoting even the simplest things. And the aromatic-studded onion is a delicious example of this. In traditional cooking, we rely on simple but effective techniques to enrich dishes especially in autumn and winter when fresh herbs are scarcer. This little treasure is called clouté, a well-chosen way for an onion scented with these powerful dried flowers.
Clove + onion: a magical combination
Why does this mixture work so well? First, because cloves are a potent herb. Applied sparingly, they grow a warm, slightly sweet, and resinous aroma that adds depth to any dish.
The result? Your broths, vegetable soups, and homemade sauces boost aromatic richness without overdoing it.
How to use it?
You don’t need to be a Michelin-starred chef to adopt this trick. All you need to do is:
- Strip a whole onion (without cutting it).
- Push in 3 to 6 cloves, relying on the size of the onion and the desired flavor intensity.
- Put the studded onion to the preparation: soup, broth, stew or homemade sauce.
- Let it boil while cooking, then get rid of it before serving. It will have released its subtle aroma.
A tip that works with all dishes
This little secret isn’t limited to broths. Try it in:
- A carrot or squash puree, to add a warm note .
- A roast or meatloaf, placing it next to it in the dish.
- A pan-fried winter vegetables, where it will mix the flavors .
- And if you like to make your own mulled wine, try to add a few cloves directly into the mulled wine – a classic, but still enjoyable, use .
Why it works (and why it’s awesome)
What makes this tip so effective is its simplicity and popular sense. No need for rare plants or unique utensils: an onion, a few cloves, and you’re good to go. It’s also a good way to taste a dish without adding salt or fat .
