Onions earn their place in so many dishes because they bridge savoury and sweet. Raw, they are crisp, peppery and bright; cooked, they mellow into something buttery. That shapeshifting character makes onions versatile in a variety of dishes, including stews, curries, pies, gravy, burgers, and tart fillings. It's no secret that cooking onions is the best way to improve their flavour, and caramelising is arguably the most flavoursome method. Simply Recipes creator Elise Bauer puts it plainly: "Onions are naturally sweet, and as caramel comes from the simple cooking of sugar when you slowly cook onions over an extended period of time, the natural sugars in the onions caramelise, making the result intensely and wonderfully flavorful." But moderate heat and patience must be combined with another step to make them even more delicious, says Elise. |
