Caramalised Onion Chutney - Recipe
Well, there was some demand for this - so here it is. This is a rough and ready "too many onions" recipe. It also is set up for large quantities and need a very large pan. Feel free to halve the quantities involved.
First you need 12 large or 18 medium red onions. You can use white onions but I have found red give the better flavour.
Before you start, sharpen your largest chef's knife. Everything in this needs to be cut fine. Really if you haven't got a 10" or more razor sharps chef's knife anyway...go buy a Big Mac :wink:
Slice each onion as finely as you can. No, finer than that!
Then cut into fine "strips", I cut into something where no length is longer than an inch and the other two sides are as fine as I can get them
Put all these into a pan that has a small amount of veg oil in it. Smalll means small - a couple of tablespoons is plenty. The pan should hold at least 7 litres (quarts) as more is to come and you need room to stir.
You will also need, two pints of "dark" vinegar. This means red wine, malt, or balsamic. I use half balsamic (for sweetness) and half red wine or malt.
"Sweat" the onions stirring regularly until they have softened.
You also need two pints of unrefined sugar, thrirty peppercorns (crushed in your pestle and mortar) and half a dozen bay leaves.
Add the vinegar, sugar and spices to the softened onions
Stir the whole shebang together
Bring to the boil
Lower the heat to a simmer. Now here you need patience. For this amount it will take about three hours to reduce. You need to drive off all the free liquid. If you do a half amount - halve the simmer time.
This recipe started with about 5 litres (quarts) of liquid and onion
After an hour we had 80% (four quarts)
After two hours we are down to 60% (three quarts)
After two and a half hours we only have 40% (two quarts) and its getting gloopy. At this point hold your nerve and watch closely. As it reduces in volume, it begins to caramelise and take on that lovely "slightly burned onion on a burger" flavour. It needs to do this. Stick your jars on to warm now.
When you have a thick jammy relish, take your jars out (about 15mins of warming is fine). Stick a jam funnel in one and begin ladeling in your warm relish
I had an "event" here. An unevenly warmed jar shattered as the hot relish hit it! A good reminder that hot sugar and glass are a dangerous mixture.
When you have filled your jars, seal with new lids and wait for them to "ping"
A lovely, jammy, "burned onion on hot dog" taste awaits - but leave for at least a month to mature
Red
Originally Posted by Shambling Shaman on his Christmas wish list
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Yep, more please 
