Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 lb sweet onion, thinly sliced, and slices quartered
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup dark red wine
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
In a large skillet (I use a huge cast-iron fry pan and yet still have to do the onions in two portions), melt the butter with the olive oil; when hot, add the onions. Stirring frequently, sauté onions on medium-high heat until they begin to brown and caramelize. When ready, set aside.
In a nonreactive potnot a cast-iron skilletadd the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium before adding the onions. Continue to cook until mixture begins to thicken.
Ensure pH is below 4.3 before ladling onion jam into sterilized jars, topping off with extra liquid if necessary to ensure solids are covered before sealing. Invert for required 2 minutes.
I have yet to serve this onion jam as a side or on top of steak without a big smile coming from dining company. The jam is equally good with chicken or lamb, and on burgers. As an hors d’oeuvre, poured over goat cheese and served with water crackers, the strange onion concoction makes the better known classic pepper jelly over cream cheese seem like it belongs on Maslov’s lowest tier as basic subsistence.
Recipe from Putting Up More by Stephen Palmer Dowdney/Gibbs Smith, 2011.
