Sweet-and-sour stuffed onions

To make the filling, preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Peel the onions and trim off the roots. Using a sharp knife, make an incision a quarter of the way through the centre of each onion. Place the onions in the boiling water, lower the heat and leave to simmer for approx. 10-15 minutes.

Drain under cold water until easy to handle. Gently remove each layer of the onion. Chop and set aside any layers that are too small to be filled.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large cast-iron pan over a medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and chicken mince. Season with 1 tsp of salt, spice mix and paprika. Break up the chicken into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Allow it to lightly brown and the liquid to evaporate. Add the rice and pine nuts, allowing the pine nuts to lightly brown. Stir 2 tsp of the pome-granate molasses and 1 tbsp of tomato paste, zest in a lemon and cook for a further 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Before stuffing the onions, spread a light layer of olive oil on the bottom of a large oven-proof baking dish.

Spoon 1 tbsp of the filling into the centre of an onion layer. Roll the side of the layer that naturally falls higher than the other over the filling, then fold the other side over, forming an oval shape with pointed ends. Repeat the same with the remaining onion layers and place them neatly in the prepared dish, seam-side down.

To make the sauce, peel and finely grate the garlic. Zest and juice the other lemon. Combine the canned tomatoes, cinnamon, the rest (or 3 tbsp) of the pomegranate molasses, honey, the rest of the tomato paste, chicken stock, ½ tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a bowl and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Spoon the sauce over and between the stuffed onions and drizzle with the olive oil.

Cover with a tight-fitting lid or aluminium foil and place the dish in the oven for approx. 40 minutes. Remove the lid or foil and bake for a further 20-30 minutes or until slightly charred and the onions are soft and caramelised. The sauce should be reduced to a sticky texture and a deep red colour.

Finely chop the parsley and spinkle it over the onions along with the pomegranate seeds. Add a dollop of yoghurt and serve immediately.