Mimi's Savings Secrets....the way to a Mans Heart is through....

 

My Mum always said that the way to a mans heart is through his stomach. I'm not sure she was entirely on the money there....hehehe....but food sure figures largely in our lives after 18 years of wedded bliss!

 

One of the Musician Husbands most favourite things, is my Onion Confit.

 

It's a much loved family favourite and we adore it on baguette with soft cheese, with meats and roasts of all kinds, on a Ploughmans platter, with crackers on a cheese board, or with oven roasted salmon.

 

Cooking it is a special guilty pleasure as it scents the house with the most amazing earthy aromas.

 

Buy up onions of any kind when they're cheap and do big batches of this to keep on hand for blokey gifts for husbands, partners, brothers and Dads. They all love it. Mind you, so do the wives, sisters and Mums!

You need 4 decent sized (about 250gm) washed and sterilized jars for this amount.

Note: you can also prepare this in the slow cooker, by adding 125gms of butter to encourage caramelising, but it does render a slightly softer and not quite as aromatic, result. Given the choice I'd do it on the stovetop. In my older slow cooker, six hours on high and six on low was about right.

1 kg onions. Different onions give a different result.

Try red, eschallots, pickling onions or brown ones.
2 tablespoons oil
250 gms sugar
300 mls vinegar (different vinegars will also give a slightly different result in colour and flavour, so try balsamic, white, apple cider, sherry or even red or white wine or sparkling wine)
3 tablespoons honey or golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg and cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Peel and slice the onions thinly. A mandolin slicer will make very quick work of this step.

Heat a large frypan over a medium heat and slow cook the onion until it's limp, about 5 minutes.

Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, stirring regulary to prevent sticking for one hour.

Cover the pan and continue to cook over a very low heat for a minimum of 45 minutes but up to several hours depending upon the depth of flavour and the consistency you're after, stirring regularly. I have simmered mine virtually all day on a very very low heat, and after 10-12 hours, they are divine.

The confit is ready when there is no liquid, and the onion has been reduced to a chunky paste.

Spoon into sterilised jars and refrigerate.

Gift on it's own, or in a basket with crackers, a sharp cheese and a good port or whisky.

Keeps for up to six months. That's if your Valentine doesn't scoff it all this weekend!

 

...Mimi...