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1
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
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2
Bring a deep pan of water to a boil.
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3
Peel the onions, add them to the pan, then decrease the heat and let them simmer until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
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4
This will only be a matter of twenty to twenty-five minutes or so.
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5
Drain them and discard the water (dont try using it in the sauce, the flavor can be too strong).
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6
Put the pan back on the stove, melt the butter in it, and stir in the flour, keeping the heat low to medium.
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7
Let the flour and butter cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often so the mixture doesnt burn, then increase the heat, pour in the stock and milk, and whisk together for a minute until there are no lumps.
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8
Season the sauce with salt and black pepper, the bay leaves, a gentle grating of nutmeg, and the mustard.
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9
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of these seasonings: they add depth and savor to the sauce and make the whole dish work.
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10
Let the sauce simmer gently for a good ten minutes or more, stirring regularly so that it does not catch on the bottom.
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11
Cut the onions in half from stem to tiptake care, they are slipperyand place them, flat side down, in a shallow baking dish.
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12
I use an oval enameled gratin dish.
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13
Chop the parsley, but not too finely, and stir it into the sauce, then scoop the lot over the onions.
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14
Their caps will probably be poking out, but no matter, just bake for forty to forty-five minutes until the sauce is bubbling.
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15
Turn off the heat, but leave the onions in the oven while you cook the ham.
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16
If your broiler is, like mine, in the oven, then move the onions to the bottom and put the broiler pan two-thirds of the way up, so that it blocks the onions from the broiler (if you prefer, you can cook the ham on a stovetop grill).
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17
Oil the steaks lightly and season them with pepper, a very little salt, and a light sprinkling of oregano.
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18
Now broil them for three or four minutes on each side, until golden.
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19
Serve the broiled ham with the baked onions and heir sauce.
