Carmelized onions

[sunnyacacia]

I just downloaded 3 recipes that call for carmelized onions but I can't get any info about how to prepare them. Anyone have any ideas?

[valchemist]

here is a recent thread on this topic.

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21166&highlight=onion

I found it by using the "search" button in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

val

[sunnyacacia]

I've tried to search for it from a few different places and all that comes up is:

Pork Tenderloin With Dried-Cherry Chutney and Caramelized-Onion Sauce (Cooking Light)

The search doesn't even come back with the other recipes that I found that include Caramelized Onions. I'm getting frustrated!

As you can see I'm new to this game and I've found some totally great meals so I really want to make the others that I' found.

[Peggy]

Sunny Acacia,

You are not alone. I have been around here for a very long time and have a terrible time with that Search function! It is so finicky about what you put in. Very frustrating!!!:mad:

Welcome to the boards!

Peggy

[sassysu3]

:D Don't know if this will suit your needs, but here's a great recipe for Browned Onions I use all the time. They're great over steamed veggies, 'shrooms, pasta, steak, burgers etc.
They are easy to prepare:
2 medium onions cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/2 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. oil (I prefer olive)
1 Tbs. soy sauce
Toss onions with paprika in a large skillet until evenly covered. Pour oil over onions and stir to coat. Add soy sauce, place over low heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until tender. Stir occasionally.
YUM!
sassysu3:)

[pes]

here's an easy way to caramelize onions - Cut them up, add a little olive oil if you like, pop them in your crockpot on high for about 6 hours, (you can stir them occasionally if you like). They don't burn this way - no constant stirring, etc. I usually do about 4-5 big onions this way, and freeze them in 1/2 cup portions. I love them on mashed potatoes and pork tenderloin.

[lorilei]

Here are some very detailed instructions for caramelizing onions... you might find them helpful:


Caramelizing onions brings out and sweetens the amazing natural flavor of onions. You can caramelize any type of onion, but depending on the sugar content, some may caramelize quicker than others. A standard yellow onion will take longer to caramelize then a Vidalia, as Vidalias are sweeter onions. Caramelized onions are terrific served as a garnish in soups, on sandwiches, or served aside an appetizer platter to add a bit of life to your party!


To caramelize an onion you will need 1 medium onion, 3 tablespoons fat (olive oil or butter), a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper (optional), and a pinch of sugar (optional).

Slice the top off of your onion.

Cut the onion in half from top to bottom and peel it.

Place half of the onion, flat side down, on a clean, flat cutting surface. Slice the onion so that you are creating crescent-shaped slabs. The thickness of the slabs is not important. If you would prefer a more rustic look and feel, make the slices very thick.

Place a large non-stick skillet or saucepan on the stove, and add a small amount of fat. Heat the oil to a medium-high temperature. We have used 3 tablespoons of a very light olive oil. Many people prefer to use butter to caramelize onions, which is also delicious. However, butter tends to burn more easily then a light olive oil, so when using butter be extremely careful to keep the pan from getting too hot.

When the fat begins to ripple, add the onions.

Stir the onions until they are coated with oil.

Adding a pinch of salt seasons the onions at the same time it speeds up the caramelizing process. The salt will suck moisture out of the onions and eventually evaporate. Be cautious not to add too much salt. If you would like, add a pinch of ground black pepper and a very small amount of sugar. However, all onions contain sugar and if you are using a sweet onion, you will not need any added sugar.

Continue to stir the onions. After a minute or so, you will notice that they may have begun to stick to the bottom of the pan and turn dark in color. This is okay. In fact it's what should happen.

Continue stirring and watch as the onions' color turns darker and darker.

If you feel that the onions are sticking to the bottom of the pan too much, add a very small amount of water to the pan, followed by vigorous stirring. This act is known as "deglazing". The water will evaporate almost immediately while loosening the onion slices.

Continue this process of deglazing until the onions have reached the color, flavor, and texture that you desire. Caramelized onions are perfect to use as the flavor-base of an onion soup, or to garnish sandwiches and other dishes.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright 2002 Allrecipes.com

[Gail]

Originally posted by sunnyacacia
I've tried to search for it from a few different places and all that comes up is:

Pork Tenderloin With Dried-Cherry Chutney and Caramelized-Onion Sauce (Cooking Light)

The search doesn't even come back with the other recipes that I found that include Caramelized Onions. I'm getting frustrated!

As you can see I'm new to this game and I've found some totally great meals so I really want to make the others that I' found.

Hi,

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding here or if I'm telling you something you already know. The recipe finder on CL's web site does have quite a few recipes utilizing caramelized onions, but may not necessarily contain everything you've seen in the magazine. Although I believe they're updating, I know that last year recipes were at one point only as recent as 2000. I ran a search for you and yielded the following link to the results:
http://cookinglight.recipes.aol.com/pls/search.jsp?searchString=caramelized+onion&x=6&y=12
Hopefully, that'll turn something up of interest for you. If you weren't able to get more than one or two recipes, could be technical problems.

In addition to CL's recipe finder, there is also a search mechanism on this board as mentioned by valchemist. I usually suggest that newbies click on "search subject title" for best results.

As for the subject of carmelized onions, I think they've all taken care of you above. :) Welcome and happy cooking!

[sunnyacacia]

Thanks ALL for the great response. I think I've got my carmelized onion issue conquered. You guys are the greatest!

Sure hope that the web master is monitoring this discussion so all of our woes will be fixed.

[valchemist]

Thank you, Gail. I couldn't figure out why sunnyacacia was only getting that pork tenderloin recipe but now I see that she must have been using the recipe finder search and not the search function on this bb.

Sunnyacacia - I am glad we have helped you out. be sure to use the search button on the top of this bulletin board in the future. the recipe finder is great too. but for questions about cooking techniques or reviews on recipes, I think you will get more info if you search the bulletin board. I know that some people have problems occasionally with the bulletin boeard search function, but for the most part, it works just fine. And I haven't had any problems with it, personally. be sure to take gail's advice and use the "title's only" function if you are searching for a common term (like onions). then if you aren't finding much, broaden out to search "entire posts."

Val

[sunnyacacia]

First of all, people who can't spell caramelized shouldn't use search engines, duh!!! :rolleyes:

but even sadder is that we just finished eating "Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms and Bell Pepper" and my family hated it! The onions came out perfectly but the dish was terribly bland. I tried spicing it up with Parmesan cheese and Garlic Pepper but to know avail. I just went in to rate the recipe and I was surprised to see that several people loved the taste.

I guess we're just too picky.:confused:

[Gail]

Wow. I didn't even notice the spelling. Yes, that would explain the search issue. I think you're just too used to seeing the name of that lovely little hamlet down the coast a ways... :p (sigh.)

As for the failed recipe, what can I say? You win some; you lose some-- and I've long since found my taste buds don't always agree with everyone else's. It's not a matter of being picky, simply a matter of perception. What's important, I think, is that you've mastered the technique of caramelizing onions-- and if you didn't like them in that first recipe, at least you'll know how to prepare them for the next one.