Caramelised onions – meltingly soft, sweet and packed with umami.
Few things lift a dish quite like a good batch of caramelised onions – and here is my very simple version, which gets plenty of time and care in the pan.
These onions start out as 1 kilo, but after an hour and a half of slow, gentle caramelising you end up with just about 300 grams of intense sweetness and umami. The onions gradually collapse and are left to brown in butter – no rush, no stress.
Once they start to take on colour, I add a little sugar to help the caramelising along – and right at the end, a spoonful or two of balsamic or red wine vinegar for a touch of sharpness against the sweet, slightly rich flavour. It makes all the difference.
The secret? Low heat, patience and not stirring too much. Let the onions sit and brown before you turn them – that is how you get that deep, golden caramelisation.
They keep well in the fridge for about a week, and they are brilliant to make in large batches and freeze in small tubs – so you always have a little kitchen magic to hand.
Ways to use them:
- On top of a juicy burger
- In a French onion tart with cheese and a crisp base
- On a good hot dog with coarse-ground pork sausages and mustard
- On top of a grilled beef patty or steak with herbs
- In a creamy pasta dish with mushrooms or spinach
- As a filling in a toastie or sandwich with cheese
- Stirred through a warm lentil or chickpea salad
Caramelised onions
Ingredients
- 1 kg onions
- 50 g butter
- 5 sprigs thyme (optional)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1-2 tsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
- Salt
Method
- Peel and halve the onions, then slice them into thin strips.
- Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat, let it foam up, then add the onions.
- Cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and collapse slightly, then season with a little salt and add the bunch of thyme.
- Cook the onions over low-medium heat for about 30-40 minutes, or until they start to turn lightly golden – stir regularly.Remove the bunch of thyme once they are lightly golden.
- Sprinkle over the sugar and continue cooking until they start to brown. Now keep a close eye on them. Stir regularly and scrape the base of the pan with a spatula so all the browned bits are stirred back into the onions.Let the onions cook until they brown, then stir – do not stir constantly. The onions release their natural sugars, along with the sugar you have added – and that is what browns on the base of the pan and needs to be scraped up and stirred back into the onions. But take care it does not burn.If they look dry, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water.
- Add the balsamic or red wine vinegar and stir it well into the onions, then turn off the heat.
- Store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week or so. They can also be frozen.
Nutrition
Premium
Hvad kan man bruge hvis ikke man har balsamico eller rødvinseddike?
Hej Anja
Så ville jeg gå med hvidvinseddike eller æblecidereddike – men de to andre alternativ giver en lidt anden dybde 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna