Sausage rolls with caramelised red onions recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you use red onions to caramelize? ›

Red onions are typically better suited for quick-cooking techniques, such as grilling or broiling. You can caramelize red onions, but they tend to take on much more color than their yellow or sweet counterparts.

The Type of Onion

At least that is what I think. 😄 They aren't as one-noted in sweetness as other onions because they have a touch of bitterness that creates a depth of flavor. But really you can caramelize any type of onion and have a fantastic result. Shallots, white, yellow, sweet, or even red will all do the trick.

You'll see some people add sugar to the recipe, which is done to speed it up. Doing this is caramelising the sugar, not the onion. The onions get plenty sweet enough on their own if you take your time with it. From a health perspective it's much better not to add extra sugar.

Method. Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan over a low heat. Add the onions with a generous pinch of salt and cook slowly for 30-40 mins. Stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking or burning until they become soft and golden.

If you are cooking them, in almost all cases red onions, yellow onions, and white onions can be swapped for one another. "Flavor-wise, the cooked dishes will taste virtually the same using red, yellow, or white onion," says Weinstein.

Our Test Kitchen likes to use butter when caramelizing onions, as it offers the richest flavor. If you avoid dairy or don't have butter, you can caramelize onions in other fat such as margarine or olive oil. Add the onion slices. It's okay if they overlap a bit here because they'll shrink as they cook down.

You definitely want the flavor of butter in your onions—but butter has the tendency to burn. For insurance, use a combination of butter and oil, which has a higher smoking point. But how much do you use? Depending on the consistency you want your onions, you can use more or less fat.

The first phase of the process is softening the onions so that they collapse into a tender mass while releasing a good deal of their liquid. If you cover the pan, you'll trap steam, which will speed up their softening, heat them more quickly, and help release their liquid more quickly.

According to Bon Appétit, the best caramelized onions are made with a combination of both butter and oil. Caramelized onions require slow cooking on the stove over an extended period of time, but butter has a relatively low smoking point. That means it'll burn before your onions have the chance to fully caramelize.

You may be cooking them on too high a heat, leading them to caramelize before all the liquid they release has evaporated. Try lowering the heat and giving them more time. Some onions are wetter than others, so you need to keep an eye on them and see how much liquid they release.

Why do you add baking soda to caramelize onions? ›

When you add baking soda during cooking it changes the pH which increases the Maillard reaction causing the onions to brown more quickly. The higher pH also causes the onions to soften more quickly, which we cover below when we discuss the texture.

Then you just have to wait long enough for the vinegar to do its job, rinsing away the harsh sulfurous compounds, softening the onion, and giving it a pleasantly tart pop of flavor. If you use red wine vinegar, my personal favorite, the onions also turn an amazing hot-pink color.

What Kind of Onions Are Best for Caramelizing. You can use any onions for caramelizing, red, yellow, white, sweet varieties all work. If you are using sweet onions, like Vidalia, which are already sweeter than your basic yellow or red onions, then you can skip the optional sugar.

Caramelized onions add mouthwatering flavor to almost any dish. From quiches and pizza, to burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches, this is one ingredient that will take your cooking up to a new level.

Caramelizing Red Onions

Stir and continue cooking until the onions are golden-brown and soft, around 15-17 minutes.

And while we prefer yellow for cooking, white for garnishing, and red for pickling, grilling, and everything in between, they're generally interchangeable: Switching between them won't ruin a dish, even if it slightly alters its flavor or appearance.