Baked Stuffed Onions

Ingredients:
Serves 8
8 large white onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ fennel bulb,chopped into small cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
½ pound ground meat
1 teaspoon Herbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, flat leaf, chopped
1 egg slightly beaten
½ cup chicken stock
Preparation:
Cut a slice ¼ inch thick off the top of each onion, ensuring you do not cut off the root. Peel the dried skin of each onion. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a roiling boil. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium, cooking until the onions have softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the onions and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Using a spoon, scoop out the centers of each onion, leaving 4 outer layers in tact.
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and heat until the butter becomes foamy. Add the tomatoes, cubed fennel, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to high, and stirring constantly, allow the tomato mixture to thicken for 2 minutes.
Oil a baking dish with olive oil and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, tomato mixture, ground meat, Herbs, parsley and egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Stuff each onion with the meat mixture, dividing it evenly. Place the stuffed onions in your baking dish and add the chicken stock to the bottom of the dish. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the stuffed onions.
Bake the stuffed onions, basting occasionally with pan juices, until tender. About 45 minutes - use a long skewer to check center for tenderness. Remove from oven and serve.