How I Do Onions

Onions are a really big part of any dish they are in, and they serve a vital role in most savory dishes. I'd say there's kind of an art to making onions, because they are what is going to make the base of your meal, the  background of your composition. You have to decide whether you want them to play a dominant role, and slice them large, or to stick more in the background, finely chopped, more like a spice than a major ingredient. Either way, they have the potential to add a whole range of flavors.


The key with the onions is getting the right mix of spices in there, and all this usually happens at the start. New Best Recipes says that its good to cook the spices in the oil or butter right before putting in the onions, so the spices cook into the oil before cooking into the onions. This works, as does just spicing the onions, however you wanna do it. I like to use bacon as a spice, actually, when I'm making meaty dishes. Throw a piece or two of bacon to cook, and once their done, you have plenty of grease to base your meal with. I usually pour some of the grease away, but having a little bit of that bacon taste in there is great in any meat dish. Though it varies from night to night, the spices I usually use are: garlic and onion powders (even when I use garlic), oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, chili powder, pepper flakes… Add or subtract depending on how strong you want each taste to be in the meal.

Throw onions and garlic into olive oil or butter, whatever fits the meal better. I say butter is better in most situations, and more butter is more better, but I also plan on having clogged arteries by the time I’m 35. If you’re doing a meat sauce, oil is a better choice.

I usually chop the onions pretty finely, unless they’re a featured part of the dish, like in a stir-fry veggie dish. I just don’t like getting big chunks of onions, and I like the flavor to be spread out. Throw in garlic around the same time as the onions, although I usually forget to do the garlic before, so I chop it up quick and put it in a minute or two after the onions.

Once the onions and garlic are slightly browned, and not burnt, a number of things can be done (I usually do both of the following things); adding sugar and adding wine, in that order. I usually sprinkle brown sugar all over the onions (turned down to med-low heat), or pour in just a tad of maple syrup. This caramelizes the onions, which is awesome. After five or so minutes letting them brown and carmelize, I add some red wine. Just a splash of really any kind, I like to use the cheap stuff, or whatever I have open. Let that reduce for a few minutes, and that’s when you can add whatever else you’re adding to the onions.