caramelised onions...how to make?

[MilliONaire]

Are caramelised onions just finely sliced onions, cooked very slowly in butter? I was looking up a delia recipe to see how to make them & that is what she suggested.

Do you not need to add anything else? Is this how you make yours?

Any tips or pointers welcome! I need them to make a caramelised onion tart from delicious magazine...

thanks!

[kiwibella]

search for Annabel Langbein recipe. I'm on my phone or I would find it! Deelish.

[eeyore2]

I just use olive oil for mine. What can really cause problems with caramelised onions is the actual equipment. You need a good quality heavy-based saucepan otherwise the onions will catch and burn rather than slowly 'sweat' out their liquid. You can help prevent catches by adding salt early in teh process which encourages the onions to release liquid, and by adding a bit of water if they look like they are really drying out. You may need to use some sort of trivet or heat disperser to get the heat down low enough. You will be shocked how many onions you need to make a relatively small amount. For a regular tart tin you probably need 6 medium onions. My method is:

1. slice all the onions as fine as possible, or use slicing attachment of magimix
   
2. put a heavy-based saucepan (not frying pan) on a medium heat. Add a think film of olive oil and heat for a minute.
   
3. add all the onions and a good pinch of salt. Stir to cover in oil.
   
4. cook the onions over a high heat for a couple of minutes until they are starting to go translucent and release some liquid
   
5. turn the heat right down to as low as possible. Cook, uncovered, for around an hour (depending on number of onions and heavyness of pan), stiring every 15 mins or so.
   
6. if the onions appear to be drying out or 'catching' (colouring at the edges and looking like they are going to burn) add some water and stir vigorously
   
7. the onions are done when they have reduced to about a quarter or less of their original volume, most of the liquide has disappeared, and they are a rich deep brown colour.
   
   My favourite uses of caremelised onions: onion gravy for saussages, onion gruyere and thyme tart, caremelised onion sauce for spaghetti. Enjoy!

[MilliONaire]

Thanks everyone, I am about to give these a go for the tart for tonight's dinner. I will report back . If it's nice, I will post the recipe? It is sticky onion tart from Delicious - has blue cheese and hazlenuts in it, pic looks fab, so I am hoping it tastes as good as it looks!

[Xiaoxiong]

I'd guess about a pound/half a kilo of onions, which is probably 3 really big ones or 4 or 5 smaller ones. I often add sugar like hassled and about 1tsp of oil/butter per onion, sometimes a tiny pinch of baking soda, a pinch of salt, and if the onions start to dry out and stick before they go brown I'll add a splash of water.

[MilliONaire]

ooh...thanks so much for that hassled! Now can I bother you to ask how many onions you would use? I am thinking about 6 to make a base filling for a regular quich sized tin? The recipe say to use bought ones from a jar, but I have not been able to get these, so thought I'd give them a go myself..

[Hassled]

I use butter and a bit of olive oil. When they have just started to colour round the edges, add a small amount (1/2 of a teaspoon or so) of sugar, give them a mix and then leave them on the lowest possible setting for half an hour or so - resist the urge to stir too much.