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Roasted onions are one of the most common additions to any dish. It can greatly change the taste of any product and give it a special piquancy.
This is the main reason why chefs around the world add onions to almost all of their exquisite masterpieces. You can add this vegetable to soups, snacks, and side dishes.
Also, onions do not lose their beneficial properties during heat treatment and retain all vitamins and minerals. However, cooking roasted onions requires certain knowledge and skills. Let’s figure everything out!
Use of roasted onions in cooking
Roasted onions are one of the most versatile dishes in the world. Even allergy sufferers can feast on them. The reason is simple: healthy roasted onions contain neither protein nor lactose.
Just imagine how delicious pancakes with meat and onions can turn out! Even an ordinary salad sprinkled with crunch onions will have a completely different taste.
You can combine roasted onions with other vegetables, meat, fish, and even some sweets. This product has so much flavor that it can improve any dish!
Necessary list of ingredients
To prepare a basic roasted onions recipe, you will need the following number of ingredients: onion, olive oil and large sea salt. So you will get a great dish that you can add to any combination of products.
This set may vary depending on your preferences. You can swap olive oil for butter or simply use water. Also, some cooks add sugar to roasted onions instead of salt.
Optional addings
However, if you want to make an independent snack, then think about choosing additional ingredients. Consider the following options:
- Balsamic vinegar. For a great taste, just one tablespoon is enough for you. Add immediately before roasting, so that the onion has time to soak.
- Herbs: sumac, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage. They will perfectly complement the taste of a vigorous onion and give it a pleasant aroma. Add directly after roasting.
- This ingredient will give the onion splendor and smooth out the taste.
- This additive will help to add a pleasant aroma and enhance the spicy onion taste.
- Other vegetables. They will always be perfectly combined with such a product as onions. You can choose potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and carrots.
Onions for roasting: sweet or spicy?
In cooking, professional chefs most often use juicy and crispy shallots, white, red, sweet and yellow onions. These types differ from each other in taste and sharpness. Each type of onion has its own taste characteristics.
- Roasted shallots have a pleasant aroma and delicate taste. This vegetable is suitable for cooking the most exquisite dishes of haute cuisine.
- Roasted white and red onions are most often added to spicy dishes. Such vegetables crunch pleasantly and give the food the necessary richness of taste.
- Roasted sweet onions are suitable for soups and stews. Their sweet taste dissolves from heat treatment.
- Roasted yellow onions are suitable for almost all dishes, but especially for caramelization and the preparation of thick sauces.
You can decide the sweet or spicy type of onion you need depending on the recipe and your taste preferences.
How do you cut an onion for roasting?
If you want to roast onions efficiently and quickly, learn how to cut them properly. There are different options for slicing onions. Among them:
- Cutting into strips. Place the bulb on the bottom. Cut it through the core from the top and up to the roots, so you will get two halves. Peel the onion from the husk and cut both halves into thin slices.
- Cut the onion in half vertically. Remove the top and peel the vegetable from the husk. Insert the knife into the onion from the side of the rhizome and cut it towards the top. With the same movements, slice the vegetable sequentially from one side to the other. Slice the onions across to make cubes.
- Cutting into rings. Cut a piece about 6 mm thick from the side of the onion. Peel the vegetable from the husk. Place the onion on a side slice and cut into thin rings.
How long to roast onions
The cooking time plays an important role in the quality of your future roasted onions. You will need just a few minutes for a perfect result. An important note from professional chefs: do not fry onions on a fast fire!
So your vegetable will turn out to be tough and bland to taste. To speed up the cooking process, pre-marinate the onion to soften its texture. When roasted on medium heat, after 10 minutes your product will acquire the desired golden brown crust, indicating its readiness
Marinade Ideas for roasting onions
Onions of different varieties have a rigid structure that sometimes can not be softened by heat treatment. A properly selected marinade will help you fix it. Professional chefs advise the following options:
- Marinade of vinegar and dill. For this recipe, mix vinegar with water, sugar and salt. Pour the marinade over the onion. Gently mix with your hands. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Lemon marinade. Heat the water over low heat. Add salt, sugar, and lemon juice to it. Leave the onion in this marinade for 30 minutes before roasting.
- Apple cider vinegar marinade. Cut the onion into rings and fill it with warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and leave to marinate for 60 minutes.
Roasted onions jamie oliver recipe
Jamie Oliver’s roasted onions are what will make you fall in love with this vegetable! For this recipe, you will need the following set of ingredients:
- yellow onions – 4-5 bulbs
- garlic – 2 cloves
- fresh rosemary – 4 sprigs
- fresh thyme – 2 springs
- of cream – 8 tbsp
- grated parmesan cheese – 40g
- chicken breast – 4 slices
- salt and pepper – to taste
- olive oil – to taste
- balsamic vinegar – for marinade
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Peel the onion and put it in boiling water for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the bulbs. Cool the bulbs and pull out part of the core.
- Chop onion, garlic and a little rosemary and roast in olive oil. Add cream, parmesan, salt and pepper.
- Wrap the onions with slices of chicken breast or bacon. Secure them with rosemary sprigs.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill the bulbs with onion mixture and put them in the oven for 25 minutes.
Oven roasted onion slices
Onion roasted in the oven is a simple side dish with a flavor reminiscent of French onion soup. You can easily cook up to six onions on a single rimmed baking sheet. Also, this cooking technology contributes to faster caramelization. To do everything right, just follow the instructions:
- Prepare the basic ingredients: onion, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Cut the onion in half, greasing with oil and sprinkling generously with salt.
- Place the onion halves on a baking dish and preheat the oven.
- Roast the onions in the oven until golden brown, from 25 to 30 minutes.
You can add such caramelized onions to soups, salads, and other dishes!
Pan roasted onions
Pan roasted onions are an excellent addition to many other recipes. You can add this vegetable to hot dogs, burgers or fast food. The technology of preparation is simple:
- Prepare onions: cut them into small pieces.
- Put everything in an airtight container and add salt. Close the container and shake well. Leave for 5 minutes.
- Add 2 tbsp flour, close again and shake.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan or frying pan, roast the onion until golden brown. Put the onion in a sieve or on a paper towel to remove excess fat.
Topping is ready! Enjoy your meal!
Whole roasted onions
If you want to get a full-fledged snack from onions, fry the whole vegetable. To do this, you will need the following list of ingredients:
- raw onions – 6 bulbs
- olive oil – 1/4 cup
- sea salt – to taste
- brown sugar – to taste
- melted butter – to taste
- garlic powder – 1 tbsp
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
- Clean the bulbs. Wipe them with a damp cloth to remove any remaining dirt.
- Pour the oil into a baking dish and put the unpeeled onion there.
- Roast for 60-75 minutes. To do everything right, do not forget to monitor the oven temperature. For extra flavor, you can add maple syrup to such an onion.
Quartered roasted onions
This method of preparing onions is similar to roasting a whole onion. First of all, peel the bulbs and rinse them under cold running water. Then moisten the knife and cut the onion into quarters.
Put the vegetables in a pan skillet or baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes. Turn it half over so that both cut sides are in contact with the pan and the air.
Can onions be caramelized in the oven?
Caramelized onions are one of the highlights of French cuisine. It is perfect for meat, poultry or fish. This dish is easy to prepare and appetizing in appearance. You can cook it in the simplest way – in the oven.
To do this, you should follow the step-by-step instructions of preparation from professional chefs:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut off the onion stalk and root end.
- Finely chop the onion and soak it in oil.
- Add salt and sugar to taste.
- Bake this onion in the oven for 20 minutes, until it becomes completely tender.
How do you roast onions without oil
If you want to cook a healthy gluten free onion dish, then you should give up adding oil. In this case, for roasting you will only need onions, pan skillet, and water. Step-by-step technology will also be very simple.
Put the pan on medium heat, finely chop the onion, add everything to the heated pan and stir until the vegetable releases the juice.
In ten minutes you will get a pile of brownish onions in the pan.
Extremely tasty, fragrant, and cooked without a single drop of oil. This technology of preparation helps to reveal the natural sweetness of onions.
What is toasted onion?
Toasted onion is a great topping for burgers, salads and other dishes. Often manufacturers sell such dried caramelized onions in separate packages for spices. However, you can cook it at home.
Prepare white onions, flour, butter, and salt. Cut the onion into cubes. Transfer to a food container, add salt and place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Add flour and shake. Preheat a saucepan with oil over medium-high heat and cook until golden brown. Then transfer to paper towels to absorb excess oil. Your toasted onion is ready!
How to roast an onion for decorating a dish
With the help of onions, you can not only prepare a delicious dish or an addition to soup or salad, but also simply decorate a plate with it.
In this case, pay attention to the following options:
- Onion sliced into rings. This is a great variant for serving with meat or fish.
- Crunch onion. This is a good option for those who want to serve a burger or salad.
- Small bulbs. For such a serving, you should choose the smallest onions that you can find. Just bake it and put it on a dish along with other products.
Main tips
If you want to get easy roasted onions, then pay attention to the tricks from professional chefs. Among them:
- Before slicing, it is necessary to remove not only the husk from the onion, but also the first and second “shirt”.
- Another important secret is to stick to a uniform thickness of the pieces. This will allow the product to fry evenly.
- Do not turn the onion in the pan ahead of time, otherwise you will not be able to achieve a crispy crust.
- When the onion is almost ready, add about 30-40 g of butter to the pan or baking sheet. This will help to get a more balanced taste.
Storage rules
To store cooked onions (roasted or baked), cool them (about 2 hours), transfer to an airtight container and put in the refrigerator. It is better to store cooked onions for a short time, since storage will affect its taste.
There will be no sharpness in such a product. Roasted onions also lose their crunch and the whole breading crumbles even during the day of storage.
Final thoughts
Roasted onions are a great addition to any dish. You can use it as a stand-alone product or as a topping. The main thing is proper cooking: you must preserve the piquancy and sharpness of taste.
Follow the instructions from professional chefs and don’t be afraid to experiment with adding onions to your daily diet!