Red Onion Confit

This is my second entry in Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this time by Chris from Mele Cotte. Chris you do have lots of entries I am going to need a holiday to get to see them all. Sorry that I missed out last week with the founder of the Weekend Herb Blogging event Kayln hosting.

I am focusing on the red onion. My recipe for Red Onion Confit or Jam, what ever you like to call it.

For this recipe I will need to use the Red Onion or the Spanish onion both red in colour. You could also substitute it for other types of onion, like the brown or white onion, but remember that the red onions are sweeter, and have the nice colour which adds to the great effect of the dish.

It is so simple to produce and can be used in lots of different dishes. For example you can use it in a sandwich, like a jam or relish, in a mouse, or as part of a stuffing for chicken, as the base to a fish or seafood dish like pan seared scallops on onion confit with nut brown butter for example. I use it at the moment on my menu as a topping for the eye fillet of beef wrapped in prosciutto on horseradish mash topped with red onion jam, port wine sauce.
This recipe is what we use at work so please scale it down for your liking. It does keep well in the refrigerator covered for about 3 weeks, ours is usually gone before then, but it does keep just cover tightly and don’t go in it with your fingers. Use a fork or something.
So for this versatile dish you need;
6 kg red onion sliced with the root taken out
1 litre red wine
1 litre port wine
1.5 kg sugar
400 ml red wine vinegar
Salt to taste.
Half the onion and remove the root see picture. Slice and place in a tall pot. The slices do not need to be thin or exact, about 3mm thick. Chef Tip, you want a high pot so that the onion will have time to absorb and stew in the liquid, a wide based pot will only allow the onion to cook quickly and you will not get the desired effect.
To the onion add the other ingredients and cook over a medium heat for two hours stirring occasionally. The onion over time will deepen in colour from the wine and will soften, absorb the juice and slightly caramelize to form a jam/confit. Taste and put into your container and refrigerate. Use as described above.