“Hope you like Jammin’, Too!” (Bob Marley)
(This essay was originally published two years ago, now re-illustraed & updated. DM)
Image generated by AI. Someday computers might actually cook for us.
This might well be the best and highest use of onions. A painstakingly long and labor-intensive simmer rids the lowly bulb of its tear gas and celebrates a soul-melting trio of sweetness, tang, and umami (the fifth taste; umami is Japanese for deliciousness.)
Here are but two of many recipes, and the technique is the same– slowly and patiently simmer the onions in grapeseed oil. First they will wilt, then become translucent, then they will shrink and start to get darker. DO NOT TRY TO ACCELERATE THIS PROCESS. Add the garlic and cook briefly before adding the liquids and the brown sugar. Taste periodically to maintain a balance between the sweet and the sour. When reduced to stickiness, add final seasonings (salt & pepper, thyme, and/or lemon zest) and chill.
Serve as a delightfully piquant counterpoint to pâtés and smoked meats.
Grapeseed Oil
2 Pounds Red Onions, Halved & Thinly Sliced
8 Fresh Thyme Sprigs (Of course you can use dried.)
4 Garlic Cloves, Pressed (or Finely Chopped)
1 cup Ruby Port
1/2 cup dry Red Wine
Pomegranate Molasses (to taste)
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
Salt & Pepper (as needed)
* * * * * * *
Grapeseed Oil
6 Medium Red Onions, Coarsely Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped
1 cup (cheap) Red Bordeaux or other Light-Medium Red Wine
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon (or more) of Lemon Zest
Salt & Pepper (as needed)
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