Caramelized Onions

Asked by jack2k6. Answered on 14th March 2012

Full question

Dear Nigella Team, in Nigella's Rapid Ragu recipe from Nigella Express (p172) it says to use 75g of caramelized onions though on Nigella's TV show she uses them from a jar. So can I buy caramelized onions or does it mean caramelized onion chuney? Any help will be great! Thanks, Jack

Our answer

The Rapid Ragu recipe uses caramelized onions from a jar for speed. This is unfortunately not a caramelized onion chutney, which contains vinegar so is a little too sour, but is often sold as caramelized onion marmalade. In the UK there are a few companies that produce onion marmalade (see links below) and it can be bought on-line and in some supermarkets or delicatessens.

In the US the Tracklements onion marmalade can be bought in some gourmet grocery stores and a few Whole Foods stores, as well as on-line. In Australia Beerenburg caramelized onion marmalade can be bought on-line and in some Wooolworth's stores.

If you can't find the onions in a jar then you can make your own caramelized onions by thinly slicing 2 large onions and cooking them very slowly in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until they are very soft. Once they are soft, sprinkle over a teaspoon of light brown sugar and tirn the heat up to medium then cook the onions until they are brown and caramelized. Stir the onions regularly during cooking as they can catch and burn easily.