Can we talk about the fact that recipes containing
caramelized onions always severely underestimate the amount of time needed to
get onions to caramelize? It drives me crazy when I see recipes that mention
cooking onions for 15-20 minutes. The whole point of caramelizing onions is
that you cook them low and slow to achieve deeply browned and sweetened onions.
This dip called for a 25 minute cook time and while I think you could certainly
have some well-sautéed onions in that amount of time, you’ll need at least 45
minutes if you’re really going for
caramelized
in the caramelized onion dip. Even 45 minutes was a little on the short end for
me, but I ran out of time and decided to press on with the rest of the recipe.
This worked fine, so feel free to caramelize as you see fit!
The end result was worth it. This is absolutely more time
consuming than picking up a tub on onion dip at the grocery store, but you
can’t beat the freshness. And really, because caramelizing onions takes very
little hands on effort, this is easier than you’d imagine. I recommend making
the dip a day in advance to give the flavors time to develop. Break it out with
some potato chips or crudités for your holiday party or afternoon of football!
One Year Ago: Spinach Salad with Cinnamon Apples, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Gingerbread Mini Loaves
Caramelized Onion Dip
from Food & Wine Magazine December 2008
Ingredients:
-2 tbsp unsalted butter
-3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
-1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
-1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
-potato chips, for serving
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook over low to moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden (at least 45 minutes). Add 2 tbsp water and cook, stirring, until the water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Allow the onions to cool slightly.
2. Transfer the onions to a cutting board and coarsely chop. In a large bowl, mix the sour cream with the cream cheese, parsley, onion powder, and Worcestershire, stirring until smooth. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with potato chips.
*Dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days
