Caramelized Onions

I wanted to put some caramelized onions on burgers, and found out I don't have a stand-alone recipe for them.  Ok, we can fix that.

Making caramelized onions is beyond easy, but it's also easy to burn them.  You can walk away from the pot during the long cooking time, but set a timer so you check on them every 10 minutes, and 5 near the end.

You're really supposed to do this in a ceramic or steel pan, but the only one I have that isn't non-stick is the glass Visions pot and I didn't want to risk cracking it.  Well, that's not true, but it seemed silly to get out the stock pot for one onion.  As a result, I have less of the fond, the crispy bits, than you would in a Dutch oven or steel pan.  I also didn't have to spend two days scrubbing it clean, so there's a fair trade.

I'm scaling this recipe to make enough topping for 4-6 hamburgers.  You can absolutely make it in much larger quantities, either for party-sized dishes or freezing.  You will have to stir it more frequently to rotate the onion contact with the heat, and it will take longer.

1 large yellow, white, or sweet onion
1 Tb butter
1/2 Tb olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
something for deglazing pan: water, stock, wine, etc.  I used a teaspoon of Amaretto because it went with what I was having

1.  Peel and thinly slice onion, as thin as you can get it.  I could have gotten out the V-slicer, but the onion was firm enough that I was able to get slices less than 1/4" thick.  It also helps if you cut the onion in half longways first, for more traction.

2.  Melt butter and oil in a wide-rimmed skillet or saucepan over medium heat.  You want a wide surface for even cooking and so it won't take two hours.  Scatter onion slices in pan and sprinkle with salt.

3.  Lower heat to medium-low once onions have begun to soften.  Toss to make sure all pieces are coated with fat.  Then walk away for 10-15 minutes.

4.  When you come back, the onions should have softened but not browned.  If there's any sign of browning at this early stage, turn down the heat.  Stir and walk away for another 10-15 minutes.

5.  This time when you stir, there will be some browning, but not a lot.  The moisture will be mostly gone and some pieces may stick to the pan a little.  At this point, come back every 5 minutes to stir and check for doneness.

6.  You can go for about half-browned, which is what I did, or continue for 20 minutes, stirring every 5, until fully browned.  It will depend on your personal taste and what you plan to use it for.

7.  If a lot of the fond is sticking to the pan when you're done, deglaze with your liquid of choice.  Scrape up those yummy burned bits and stir it into the mix.  Remove from heat.

8.  Either serve immediately, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes about 1 cup

Difficulty rating  π