FOOD HOLIDAY: National Grilled Cheese Month (& Caramelized Onions!)
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It’s National Grilled Cheese Month, and we have been happily delving into our collection of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. The restaurant Primehouse New York has added another winner to our list: Cinnamon Raisin Grilled Cheese. It’s fresh goat’s cheese, caramelized onions, bacon and warm fig jam on grilled raisin bread. Don’t you want to make one right now? Caramelized onions is an easy—if time-consuming—delight to cook up, so consider doubling the recipe below. Caramelization simply involves slow cooking sliced onions in butter or olive oil until they brown and release their natural sugars. The result: a sweet onion garnish for just about everything from eggs, sandwiches, burgers, and pizza to meats and fish (you can set the meat/fish on a bed of caramelized onions). Enjoy carmelized onions on slices of baguette (or toasted baguette for bruschetta), turn it into an onion dip or an onion tart. Top mashed potatoes and baked potatoes. And eat them right out of the pot. The recipe below makes two cups. You’ll like it so much, you might want to make a double (or triple) batch. The cooked onions will keep for up to a week, refrigerated in an airtight container. You can use them in every meal of the day: Ingredients For 2 Cups |
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Preparation 1. PEEL the onions; cut in half. Slice lengthwise, cut side down. 2. ADD 5 teaspoons butter, olive oil, or a combination to a large sauté pan. Heat on medium high heat until the oil “shimmers.” 3. ADD the onion and stir to coat the slices with oil. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. ADD the salt and the optional sugar. The sugar helps with the caramelization process, but if you’re cutting back on sugar you can leave it out. 5. COOK for 30-60 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The onions will stick to the pan as they brown. Scrape them up with a spatula before they burn. After 30 minutes, lower the flame. As the onions cook down, you may need to scrape more frequently. Add more butter or oil as necessary. Continue to cook and scrape until the onions are soft and a rich, brown color. 6. DEGLAZE the pan with balsamic vinegar. This will add even more complexity to a wonderful condiment.
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