Thank goodness for onions, which add delicious taste and essential nutrients to your meals. But did you know that caramelising onions can give your food a completely different flavour and consistency? We're delighted you're giving it another try if you've carefully avoided caramelising onions because you weren't sure or you didn't want to take the effort. Many foods benefit greatly from the addition of caramelised onions. Additionally, you can prepare a large quantity in advance to utilise during the week or freeze them for later gourmet creations.
Salads
We choose thin caramelised onion ribbons for our make-ahead pasta salad lunches because they give any green salad terrific texture and flavour. In warm or room temperature grain or bean salads, caramelised onions are also fantastic.
Sandwiches/ burgers
Adding a layer of soft onions is the ideal garnish for deli-style sandwiches as well as burgers. The rich sweetness transforms a straightforward sandwich into something indulgent in a big way.
Pizza
Try topping homemade pizza with caramelised onions if you're feeling fancy! The taste of each topping comes out the best when they are combined with only a few other toppings, in our opinion.
Pasta
Almost all of our pasta sauces start with onions, and by cooking them just a little longer until they reach the caramelised stage, the sauce gains a little more depth and personality.
Appetizer
Many of our go-to dinner party appetisers have caramelised onions as their main ingredient. They can be baked into a frittata to be served in thin slices, heaped on top of bruschetta with a little wedge of cheese, or used to spice up a simple dip for chips and crackers.
It takes time to make caramelised onions. As a result, you'll need to practise patience. A gradual process takes around 45 minutes to produce good, juicy, caramelised onions. You might try to shorten the cooking time by giving your onions some baking soda. Although it is a sensitive process that is easily overdone, the result could be some odd-tasting onions.
Ingredients
1. Butter
2. Canola oil
3. Onions
4. Kosher salt
5. Fresh thyme
6. White balsamic vinegar
Method
1. In a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter together with the canola oil.
2. The onions should be added after the kosher salt and thyme leaves have been added. When the onions begin to soften, cook them for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent them from crisping or browning unevenly.
3. With the lid on, lower the heat to medium-low, and carry on cooking the onions while tossing them roughly every 10 to 15 minutes. The onions will simmer down, get more golden and jammy, and provide a deep, nutty aroma. If the onions appear to be burning or crisping, add a splash of water or broth and swirl in some of the caramelised fat from the pan's bottom so the onions can soak it up. In the final 10 minutes of cooking, if desired, add the vinegar.
4. For a deep, rich caramelised flavour, simmer the food for another 30 minutes or more. Serve right away or keep chilled for up to a week.