30 Before 30: Melted Onions (#18)

Thomas Keller really emphasizes the importance of basics and this importance really can't be overstated. These melted onions were an essential component of the next post and because of that I decided to give them their own post. These work well for sandwiches, added into sauces or salads, or as something to snack on while you're working on the rest of the meal (hmm, what?, who does that?).

Melted Onions via Ad Hoc at Home:

Makes 2 cups

8 c. sliced onions (about 3 large onions)

Kosher salt

8 Tb. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 sachet (1 bay leaf, 3 thyme leaves, 10 black peppercorns, 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled)

Lay out a 7-inch square of cheesecloth. Put the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic near the bottom of the square and fold the bottom edge up and over them. Roll once, tuck in the two ends of the cheesecloth, and continue to roll. Tie the cheesecloth at both ends with kitchen twine.

Put the onions in a large saute pan, set over medium-low heat, sprinkle with 2 generous pinches of salt, and cook, stirring from time to time, for about 20 minutes, until the onions have released much of their liquid.

Stir in the butter, add the sachet, cover, and cook slowly over low to medium-low heat for another 30 to 35 minutes. The onions should look creamy at all times; if the butter separates, or the pan looks dry before the onions are done, add a bit of cold water and stir well to re-emulsify the butter. The onions should be meltingly tender but not falling apart or mushy. Season to taste with salt.

Once cooled, the onions can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

These would be perfect with day after Thanksgiving sandwiches and they are so wonderful with an interesting side dish as you'll see in the next post.

Recipes Complete: 18

Recipes to Go: 12