Caramelized Onion
Yield: 3/4 cup

Inspiration

Caramelizing onions produces a depth of flavor that is unique; not quite sweet but rich. If you are not familiar with them, think of good French onion soup; those caramelized onions are why the soup is so rich tasting. Plain, cooked lentils or a simple pork chop just come alive with a little caramelized onion.

Hints

1. If you multiply this recipe, use just enough sugar to cover the bottom of the fry pan. Do not multiply the sugar directly with the number of onions. It is a very difficult to caramelize more than one layer of sliced onions at a time.
2. It is just as easy to caramelize 4 onions as it is 1 (bigger pan, a few more tears). Freeze the extra and it’s ready for last-minute dinners (is that redundant?).
   

   Begin with a large sweet Washington Onion

Ingredients

1 large sweet Washington onion* peeled and sliced into 1/4″ slices
1-2 tbsp. granulated sugar

*If sweet onion is not available, use large yellow onions and use a little more sugar to caramelize.

Procedure

1. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the entire bottom of a fry pan. Turn heat to medium low, and place onions in pan, in a single layer.
   

   Separate onion slices with a fork as you stir them gently in the caramelized sugar.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramel colored, 15-20 minutes. Take care not to scorch the onions, as they are not supposed to be fried.
   

   Enough for today and several small freezer containers.

To store: Transfer to a non-reactive container and cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. They keep this way for one week.