Technique: Carmelized Onions

Carmelized onions in four stages: raw, softened, golden, carmelized.  

Carmelizing onions is a fundamental and useful technique. When well cooked - which takes about 25 minutes for a large onion - they develop a rich sweet and savory. From there, they can be used many ways:

• Tossed with pasta, cheese and herbs
• Used as a topping for grillled pizza
• Simply presented as "grilled onions" as if on a burger from an old school diner
• Stuffed in roasts, such as pork or butterflied turkey breast
• As a key ingredient in a rich tomato sauce with sweet peppers and sausage

To Carmelize Onions

1. Onions cook down to a pretty small quantity when carmelized. Don't be afraid to use a lot of onion.  
2. Slice 2 or 3 large onions. You can slice across the equator, or pole-to-pole. Slices should be consistent in size, either 1/4" (larger) or 1/8" (smaller). 
3. Add a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Over medium-high heat allow the onions to cook for 30 to 35 minutes total. Stir the onions about every 5 minutes to loosen from the bottom of the pan. 
4. Season with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper. 

Option 1: Add 3-4 sprigs of thyme and one bay leaf for additional flavor. 

Option 2: Use 50% onion, 50% fresh sliced fennel. After 10 minutes, add a tablespoon of fennel seeds, two teaspoons of red pepper flakes. 

Homemade Carmelized Onion Dip 

This is what most people would call "French Onion Dip".

1. Chop 1/4 of a large onion into a fine dice, about 1/4" pieces or smaller. You should have about half a cup. 
2. Saute onion in olive oil, along with a tablespoon of sugar. 
3. Allow onion pieces to get dark brown - just short of being burnt. 
4. Immediately add to one cup sour cream. 
5. Refrigerate. Stir once an hour. Serve at least two hours later or overnight.