Somewhere between a vegetable dish and a salsa, this is great as a topping for simple grilled fish or chicken. If you have a gas grill, you can make this almost effortlessly; it’s easy, too, when you’ve started a charcoal fire for another purpose.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups

　　2 large red or white onions

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/2 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or to taste, optional

　　2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

　　1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

　　

Step 1

Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill or preheat the oven to 450°F. Grill the onions over not-too-high heat or roast in the oven in an aluminum-foil-lined pan, turning as necessary, until they blacken slightly and become quite soft, 15 to 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Peel and roughly chop the onions, then combine with salt and pepper, the habanero if you’re using it, and the citrus juices. Marinate for several hours or serve immediately, stirring in the cilantro and adjusting the seasoning just before serving.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.