Caramelised Onion - for tartlets etc

[Amanda]

Adding  little fresh thyme towards the end is also very nice!

[Camano Chef]

I tried carmelising onions using the advice from Tenina.

I added a little too much water( per Thermomixer), I used 100g and they were too wet so I finished for about 30 minutes on Varoma to bring them to the proper consistency.

They are excellent but a little too sweet.  Probably just right for a tart but not for other uses.  Will try 1/2 the sugar next time.

Making carmelised onions any other way is tedious process.  I use them so many ways and now I will not have to fiddle constantly with them to prevent scorching.  A great help.

I hope this can help someone.

Phil

[judydawn]

Yes thanks Phil, any suggestions will be noted in my cooking notes. I like to keep a batch in the fridge in summer then just heat them up on the BBQ plate - visitors say they are the best onions they have ever tasted.  Haven't tried them in the TMX but sounds like it is a winner.

[Thermomixer]

I added a little too much water( per Thermomixer), I used 100g and they were too wet so I finished for about 30 minutes on Varoma to bring them to the proper consistency.

They are excellent but a little too sweet. 

Try adding about 30ml balsamic vinegar instead of water, or same amount of white wine and start with the measuring cup in and then varoma with MC out -play around and have fun.

[AGGY]

I tired this tonight, but the onions didn't really brown up. Any suggestions?

[CreamPuff63]

Teninas recipe: Made this last night and see what you mean about the runniness. Just had a look at the jar now that it has been in the fridge overnight and it may be okay. (Still has the taste).  I think that next time I will slice the onions into thinner onion rings as I just had onion halves and they didn't cook down as they were just solid chunks. After about 30 mins I realised this, and then separated the onion rings but they are so big and chunky looking. Had to add on more time to cook because the inside rings were not cooked. I used balsamic vinegar so they were ok in "brownness", but could've even cooked this batch because of their size for a bit longer than I ended up doing.

[Thermomixer]

I tired this tonight, but the onions didn't really brown up. Any suggestions?

Maybe start cooking at a lower temp then cook longer - see this recipe http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1722.0

[CarolineW]

I made this (Tenina's recipe) last night.  I didn't add any water.  It was a bit runny, the chunks were a bit big and not as cooked as I like, so I did another 15 mins at Varoma and speed 2.  At the end of that it was perfect.  For an onion tart (which it is) it is absolutely perfect as is.  As a jar of caramelised onions for the fridge to bung in/on a bunch of different things, I'd use slightly less sugar next time, and probably a drop more balsamic (I put in a 'slosh'). 

However, I can just imagine how wonderful this would be as an onion tart, so I'm going to make it again without the less sugar, and do an onion tart with it.

[CarolineW]

I followed Tenina's recipe, and it worked brilliantly.  Slightly sweeter than I would have chosen for personal taste, but wonderful nevertheless.  I'll reduce the sugar next time.  There will definitely be a next time. 

Having said that, the sweetness is probably absolutely perfect for onion tarts, which is what the recipe is actually for 

[judydawn]

If you have enough patience, you can caramelize onions in the TM...place 4-5 halved onions into TM bowl and without chopping, add 50g brown sugar, 50g olive oil, pinch salt and a dash of balsamic and then cook with MC off for around 30-45 minutes at 90oC on speed 1. You will need to check the liquid occasionally to ensure you don't burn your bowl. The amount of liquid will vary from onion to onion! I have done this a few times now, and they are divine...and no standing around stirring!

I used this recipe for my batch of caramelised onion but added a splash of water to the bowl first as per Thermomixer's idea.  After 30 minutes they were nowhere near caramelised & I had to cook them for a further 22 minutes on Varoma temperature on speed 2. There were still some large pieces amongst them so I just sliced them by hand.  Delicious!  Plan to use them on some pizzas at the weekend.

I once read that you could keep these in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 3 months - not that they would last this long but would that be right???

[KL_inTheMiX]

havent tried this yet as still waiting for my TMX to turn up.
However, when I do stove top caramalised onions I use Kecap Manis (sweet soy) and dried chilli and maybe a little dry white wine to let it down every now and then........

 

[andiesenji]

I am a big fan of caramelized onions or onion confit, as some call it.   I have prepared it several times in the TMX with excellent results.
I often add some shallots to give just a hint of garlic flavor (I grow my own shallots, they are ridiculously easy to grow in containers.)
but most often, I will add the rind of a preserved lemon* which adds an interesting  tang than I have not been able to duplicate with any other ingredient. 
Onions pair well with many herbs, added with a very light hand.   If you like rosemary and have fresh, it is best to sauté the rosemary in the oil first, until the oil is infused with the rosemary flavor, then use the oil to cook the onions. 

I generally prepare onion confit in big batches, vacuum seal it when it has cooled, and freeze it and it will keep for at least six months.  It will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks (if it lasts that long) but to me the texture changes after that and I don't like it.
I've also canned it, using a pressure canner, when I make really big batches but it's a lot of work. 

*Preserved lemons are pretty much a staple in my kitchen.  They are easy to prepare and when I get 2/3 rds through one jar, I start another as they take 30 days to "ripen."   I cook a lot of middle eastern dishes and they are essential, especially in tagines. 
They are ridiculously expensive in the markets, as one jar, with three small lemons is more than $5.00 here.
If you have access to locally grown lemons, without the waxy coating applied by commercial processors, they are well worth the effort.

[cookie1]

I've never preserved lemons Andiesenji. I often wonder about it though.

[andiesenji]

I use Paula Wolfert's method from her cookbook "Couscous and other good things from Morocco" that was published quite a few years ago.  A lot of chefs have posted on various forums that they use the same method and it certainly works. 

This website has the recipe as it appears in the book:
http://leitesculinaria.com/7073/recipes-preserved-lemons.html

This site has a different recipe with added spices - I've made it but don't like it as much as Paula's.
There are also some additional uses for the lemons that you might not think of.
The compound butter with the lemon is just wonderful. 
http://www.putsup.com/2009/05/glamorous-lemons-preserved-lemons.html

Keeping the lemons in the brine from being contaminated is important.   I use a pair of bamboo tongs that I scald with boiling water before putting them into the jar to fish out the lemons.

I also don't follow the directions exactly.  I cut the lemons into quarters completely rather than leaving them joined at the bottom.  Not as pretty perhaps, but much easier to handle and I can get more lemons into a jar. 

Ordinarily I use only kosher "flake" salt  but in any case it has to be "natural" salt - non-iodized - you have lovely sea salts  available in Australia, and I have used the flaky sea salt from New Zealand, sold here under the PacificSalt brand (very popular in my local health food store) which is available in large packages.

[Thermomixer]

Thanks Andie - yes I cut them into quarters too - fit so many more in that way.

Thanks for the links