I scream, you scream, we all scream for confit
By far, my most requested recipe is onion confit (pronounced “con-FEE”). It’s a hit when we have company. Also, I do a happy dance whenever there’s any leftovers because MORE FOR ME. It’s not really a dish; more of a garnish. Mirriam-Webster defines confit as a “… fruit or vegetable, cooked until tender in seasoned liquid.”
Here, onion slices are cooked in olive oil and butter until reduced to a spreadable paste of perfection, worthy of a food-gasm.
Best of all, goes on anything and everything, except maybe your breakfast cereal. To give you an idea, our household enjoys it on: crackers, baguette, roast chicken, burgers, frittatas, salads, and even soups like this butternut squash beauty. I would go as far as to use confit as an ice cream topping, but that’s just me.
With 20 minutes of prep work and 5 hours (or more) of cook time, onion confit is not for the faint of heart. Thankfully, much of that time is inactive, meaning you can binge-watch Netflix or read a novel while letting those onions sweat it out.
Every year, I have good intentions about making multiple batches and gifting them to friends, but the onion confit never manages to leave my kitchen. My kids fight over it. And when my husband offers me the last bite, I consume it with abandon before he’s had a chance to rescind his offer, and instead say a silent prayer of thanks for my generous husband.
Based on Thomas Keller’s Bouchon cookbook, this recipe reduces the amount of butter. (The original calls for an entire stick!) Also, you could sub the parsley for oregano and it’s still delicious.
I would love to hear if you give this recipe a try. Comment below and let me know how it turned out!
- 3 large onions, peeled, and sliced thinly along grain lines
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bouquet garni, of:
- 2-3 leek leaves
- 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
- Tuck herbs and peppercorn inside one leek leaf, and cover herbs using remaining leek leaves, creating a tubular bouquet. Secure with kitchen twine.
- In large stockpot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until melted. Add onion and salt, and toss to coat. Nestle bouquet garni into middle of onion pile.
- Create circular parchment paper lid, using the pot cover as a template. Cut parchment paper to size and, folding the circle into quarters, snip the center so that you have a parchment circle with a hole in the middle.
- Stir the pot again and over the onions with parchment lid. Cook over low-medium heat for 4-5 hours, stirring every 10 minutes for the first hours, and less often as the onions soften. For ultra-caramelized onions, you may wish to increase cook time.
- Remove bouquet garni and allow to cool. Keeps for about 1 week refrigerated... IF IT LASTS THAT LONG.
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