1st October, 2020
~~~~
As my reserves of summer and autumn pickles begin to run low at this time of year, I like to make a jar of sweet caramelised onions to add to the fridge condiments. Delicious spread on cheese toasties, dot on pizza, add to stews for a flavour boost or use to spruce up a simple vegetable tart – scroll down for the recipe.
A Jar of Caramelised Onions
To get the most sweetness out of the onions with little added sugar, the key is high heat, regular stirring and patience. It is worth making this in a larger batch, rather than single meal serve, so not to rush the cooking of the onions. I find using a wok, if you have one, ensures even cooking without the possibility of the onions stewing, rather than caramelising.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large brown onions, about 700g
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
- cracked pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves or 1 tsp dried
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Instructions
- Peel the onions, and thinly slice. This can be done in a food processor with a slicing attachment.
- Place the sliced onions into a large bowl and toss in the salt. Set aside to soften for 5 minutes. The salt will help to draw moisture out of the onions while cooking to caramelise faster.
- Heat a wok or large heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions have reduced in bulk and evenly golden brown.
- Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, until sticky and darker in colour. Cool a little then scoop into a clean jar. Store in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.
Caramelised Onion, Pumpkin & Feta Savoury Galette
The pumpkin and squash harvest from autumn is mostly gone, but I still have a few small kabocha squash needing to be used. I use thinly sliced raw squash or pumpkin for this savoury tart so it will cook evenly in the oven heat so no need to precook. Or you can use leftover roasted pumpkin. If you have time, you can make the pastry from scratch using a basic savoury shortcrust, or use store-bought butter puff pastry (one of my fall-back freezer staples for a quick dinner) rolled to shape as outlined in the recipe.
Ingredients
- about 400g savoury shortcrust or butter puff pastry
- flour for dusting
- about 2 tbsp mix of rolled oats, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp Caramelised Onions - see the previous recipe
- 300 g squash or pumpkin, peeled and thinly sliced to 3mm thickness
- salt and cracked pepper
- 100 g feta, crumbled
- milk for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (non-fan bake). If you have a pizza stone, place this on the middle rack of the oven to act as radiant heat to cook the base of the tart.
- On a lightly floured bench, roll the pastry out into 30cm wide circle. (If using store-bought pastry sheets you need to get creative with the rolling, or press the pastry into a round disc and roll from there.) Carefully lift the pastry and sprinkle the bench with the oat and seed mix in a large circle the size of the pastry. Lay the pastry over the top and firmly roll again to press the oats and seeds into the pastry.
- Transfer the pastry onto a greased or lined baking tray. Spread with the caramelised onions, leaving a 5cm space around the edge for making the border of the galette. Evenly layer over the sliced pumpkin and season with salt and pepper. Scatter with the feta.
- Carefully fold up and pleat the pastry to create the sides. Brush pastry with milk. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden and pumpkin is tender. Serve hot or cold with spring salad.
*If you enjoy my Homegrown recipes you can now support my work via Buy me a Coffee*
