Ingredients
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1 Tbsp Butter
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1 Tbsp Olive Oil
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2 lb [910 g] Onion
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4 fresh Thyme
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1 tsp fine Sea Salt
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1⁄4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
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1 cup [240 ml] off- Dry Sherry
Directions
Caramelized onions are the secret to so many flavorful preparations: amazing stews, French onion soup, and delicious sour cream dip. To get that rich flavor, you need to cook onions for a good amount of time, coaxing them to a deep, dark brown, and stirring them before they actually blacken. Take your time and have fun. Once the onions are dried, you can grind them into a rough powder that you can pack into the woods with a morsel of dried bouillon for a cup for delicious soup on the go. Or soak them in a bit of water and fold them into ground meat for an especially savory meatloaf.
Steps
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1
Done
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In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Add the onions and thyme sprigs and toss well. Cook undisturbed until the onions begin to brown. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any sticky brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring and scraping when a brown layer accumulates in the pan. If the brown layer is blackening quickly, turn the heat to low. After about 30 minutes of cooking, add in 1⁄2 cup [120 ml] of the sherry, and thoroughly scrape the bottom of the pan. After another 10 minutes, add the remaining 1⁄2 cup [120 ml] sherry and scrape again. Continue cooking until the onions are very soft and an even chestnut brown. (If at any point the onions darken too much, stir in a splash of water and scrape the pot again.) Let cool and discard the thyme sprigs. |
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2
Done
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Line dehydrator trays with nonstick fruit-leather sheets. |
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3
Done
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Lay out the onion mixture on the prepared trays, and press down to make as thin a layer as |
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4
Done
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Peel the dried onion layer off the nonstick sheet and break into smaller pieces. If desired, |
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5
Done
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Store in an airtight container, preferably with a silica gel packet to extend freshness, in a dark |
