Caramelized onions have a sweet taste to them and they go well with
many main dishes. They are delicious and they are very easy to make. You
can add them to enhance a meal you make for your family. You can also
choose to make them for the holidays or when you are hosting a special
dinner for friends and family. Many people don't realize that this
process really makes the onions shrink though. Make sure you have plenty
to work with so you will have a pile of them to serve with your meal.
Cut the onions into long strands for the best look from caramelized
onions. To help prevent watery eyes you can cut them in the sink with
the water running. You will want to do three or four onions for a family
of six. For the best results you need to use either yellow or white
onions. Make sure you don't keep any of the outer skin or the core of
the onion.
You will need a very large skillet that is either made from iron or that
is non-stick. Add some olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and
let it heat up until it is very hot and the oil is sizzling. Place the
onions into the pan and continue to mix them up. You want all of them to
be coated with the olive oil so make sure you stir them in very well.
It takes about 30 minutes for the onions to start caramelizing. You may
wonder about adding sugar but you don't need to. As the onions get hot
the sugar that is in them will come out and so this part of the process
takes place naturally. Some people like to add a couple of splashes of
white wine to the mix when they are almost done cooking to give them a
sweeter taste as well.
For the best results you will want to serve the caramelized onions when
they are still warm. Try to have them ready right when the meal is ready
to be served. They tend to get thick and have a different texture if
they cool off too much before you eat them.
