Caramelized onions
The smell of cooking onions is one of my favorite aromas in the kitchen. Making caramelized onions isn't hard, but it does require constant attention because they can easily burn. The results are worth the effort. Please read the How to caramelize onions blog.
| Recipe makes | Active time | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| Special equipment needed |
|---|
| Heavy skillet with a lid |
| A metal spatula |
| Ingredients |
|---|
| 1 tablespoon vegetable oil |
| 3 onions, peeled and slivered into 1/3-inch segments |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 teaspoon sugar |
| 1 cup water, divided |
| Instructions |
|---|
| • Add the vegetable oil and slivered onions to the skillet. Toss to coat the onions with the oil. Turn the heat to medium-high. |
| • Sauté the onions until they sizzle, about 1 minute, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook until they start to shrink and become soft, about 4 minutes. |
| • Add the salt and sugar. Stir. When the onions start to brown, add 1/2 cup of the water and stir. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom. |
| • When the liquid starts to simmer, cover the pan, and turn the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring about every 2 minutes to make sure they onions are not burning, about 9-10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. |
| • Remove the lid and return the heat to medium. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as necessary to keep the onions from burning. Frequent stirring is necessary as is scraping off the spatula. |
| • Continue cooking and stirring until the onions are a deep caramel color, about 30 minutes from the time they were put in the skillet. |
| Variations |
|---|
| • Add a splash of sherry at the end. |
| Storage |
|---|
| • Caramelized onions can be made 3 - 4 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. They can also be frozen for 3 - 4 months. |
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