Take It Slow, Chef

We go from 16 games and all 32 NHL teams in action on Tuesday to having just one game on tonight. I'm not making the NHL schedule or anything, but we couldn't find another two teams to play tonight so I'm not forced to watch Philadelphia and Washington? The good news is that no one actually is forcing me to watch them play, so I won't be. I may check out the ECHL game between Toledo and Idaho as both teams are gonna be good this season. However, whatever game I land on will be playing in the background because I'm embarking on a different sort of project tonight. This one might make your mouth water, but I have some vegetables to use up so my efforts will be in the kitchen tonight as I take my time and slowly craft something everyone should have on-hand!

If you're a fan of French onion soup or a way to kick a pizza up a couple of notches, caramelized onions make a world of difference if you have them on-hand. They can change the flavour profile of anything they're added to, but the magic that makes caramelized onions so good is time. Specifically, I'm talking about the amount of time that's needed to properly caramelize the allium pieces.

There are sites and authors of recipes on the internet that claim to be able to get caramelized onions done in under 30 minutes, and I'm here to tell you that if you see that claim you're likely reading about the worst caramelized onions you'll ever taste. Some renowned chefs have made the claim of being able to caramelize onions properly between 45 minutes to an hour, and I'm also telling you that whatever method they're using likely isn't going to give you the best flavours.

Tonight, as I listen to the sounds of the game from the other room, I'll be spending up to 90 minutes caramelizing onions from my own garden. You might wonder why it takes an hour and a half to caramelize onions, and there's actual science behind why the longer time works better than forcing it with baking soda or using high heat and water to speed the effort up. In short, stay calm and slow down.

The act of caramelization is the browning that happens when sugar is heated. In onions, the process is called "pyrolysis" which is the non-enzymatic browning of the onions due to heat. In order to brown the onions and make them sweet, though, the onions need to have the water removed from them, and that's not a quick-and-easy process as onions can be up to 90% water. When the water is removed, the process to starting pyrolysis can begin.

The key for pyrolysis is that it starts around 212°F. Without water, though, the onions can burn if the heat is too high. This is why the long cooking period is important: low heat plus the removal of water will allow the temperature of the onions to climb slowly, promoting the "sweating" of the water out of the onions and leading into proper pyrolysis. The longer the cooking period, the better chances of the onions coming out sweeter.

The reason that happens is that the heat without the water allows the breakdown of the sucrose in the onion's cells, turning the sucrose into simpler sugar molecules. Our tongues aren't designed to taste complex forms of sugar, so extracting these simpler forms of sugar is why caramelized onions taste sweet compared to raw or sautéed onions. The final product is almost always a delicious result, so low heat and a long time is how to make the best caramelized onions.

If you're still with me through the culinary science, let's get to the actual making of the caramelized onions. The recipe isn't complicated nor are the directions, so here it is.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 medium yellow onions - peeled, halved, and sliced
½ teaspoon of salt

The salt is only used to enhance the sweetness by sprinkling it into the onions at the end. Otherwise, there are only two ingredients needed to caramelize onions.

Directions

1. Cut the onion halves into similarly-sized slices. Once sliced, break up the onions so they're left as individual half-rings.
2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet, and warm to a medium-low temperature. Don't overheat the oil!
3. Add the onions and sauté them until soft. Cover with a lid to help the sweating of the onions, but keep an eye on them. DO NOT BURN THE ONIONS!
4. Turn the heat down to low, and allow the onions to continue to sweat. Stir every five minutes to ensure that the onions on the bottom aren't burning. If they stick to the pan, remove the pan from the heat, lower the temperature again, replace the pan on the heat after 1-2 minutes, and resume the five-minute stirring intervals.
5. Continue these intervals for 60-80 minutes until the onions are brown. It may not look like the onions are doing anything in terms of colour, but keep calm and let the process continue.
6. Once browned, add a little water and turn the heat up to medium for the final two minutes to coax as much sugar out of the onions. DO NOT BURN THE ONIONS!
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remember to stir the onions at least once while cooling. If you're adding the salt for taste, add it before removing from the heat.
8. Once done, put into an airtight container. These caramelized onions can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator or two months in the freezer. If you want smaller sizes, use an ice tray to make smaller, easier to handle portions.

That's all it takes. It's not difficult at all, but it's the commitment to the time that everyone seems to ignore. Don't rush the process if you want things to turn out splendidly because the low heat and the long cooking time is how you make the science work in your favour. Once you have the caramelized onions, you're ready to add them to virtually anything - burgers, pizza, sandwiches, etc. - or can be eaten with a charcuterie board to add some nice sweetness.

For a quiet night of hockey, I ended up with some delicious food. That's not a bad trade for any evening in my books.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!