Cook the onions in boiling salted water for 15 - 20 minutes. Drain them thoroughly, reserving 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid. Leave the onions to cool slightly, then pat them dry with absorbent paper.

Heat the oven to l80C/350F/Gas4.

Put the onions on a board and slice them. Arrange the sliced onions in an ovenproof dish.

Beat the soured cream with the reserved onion liquid and season with salt, pepper and sweet paprika to taste. Pour the cream over the onions in the dish.

Melt the margarine in a small frying-pan, add the breadcrumbs and fry for about 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden and crisp.

Remove the pan from the heat and

stir in the parsley. Chop 1 hard-boiled egg and stir it into the fried crumb mixture. Spoon the mixture evenly over the

onions.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the remaining hard-boiled egg.

Arrange the egg slices in a row along the top of the dish. Sprinkle with paprika, garnish with parsley and serve at once.