Author Notes
Speaking of appetizers, we always do our best to make them as light as possible - you really don't want to get your fill before the main dish is served.
One of our favourite appetizers which is always a great success is caramelized onions. Though it's somehow a tricky thing we advise you to give it a try, once you make it right - you will not be able to stop cooking it. —GoodFood
Ingredients
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1 cup
onions
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1 tablespoon
brown sugar
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2 tablespoons
balsamic vinegar
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1
garlic clove
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1 teaspoon
thyme leaves
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good quality olive oil
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a pinch of sea salt
Directions
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First tip is to collect as many forms, colors and sizes of onions as possible. Take red, white, yellow, pearl, baby onions - you will win. Cut the big ones thinly lengthwise, small ones - in halves, even leave the smallest ones whole.
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Smash and roughly chop your garlic. Heat olive oil in a big pan over low heat, add thyme leaves and garlic to the pan and stir them to give their flavour to the oil. It's important here to choose good quality olive oil as it gives much of its flavour to the final dish. Add the onions and a pinch of sea salt and cook them until all the liquid has evaporated and the onions are soft, it will take 10-15 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent from burning. After that add sugar and balsamic and cook stirring constantly for another 5-10 minutes until the onions caramelize.
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Another important tip here is to choose the widest pan you have and cook onions in one layer, not more. If you overcrowd your pan the onions will be sweating and boiling but not evaporating any moisture, you will just have to throw it all away. So take a wide pan and you will get it right.
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When cooked the onions get incredible sour-sweet taste, they are juicy inside and in some places have a crunchy sugary crust. Serve them with fresh buns or crackers, it tastes just like heaven. Bon Appétit!
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