Recipe: Onion Jam

Onion Jam.

I wanted to reproduce the Divina Onion Jam I bought at Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco and was mostly successful. This stuff is intense; use it sparingly on a sandwich or serve on a charcuterie plate with a nice runny brie. Makes 1 cup maybe.

Ingredients:
2 large onions, peeled and sliced thin to yield 4 c sliced onions
¼ c neutral oil
Kosher salt, a generous pinch
Black pepper, a few grinds
¼ c white sugar
1/3 c vinegar: red wine, balsamic, distilled or a combination
2 bay leaves (optional)
Sprig of rosemary (optional)
Sprig of thyme (optional

Method: heat oil in a cast iron skillet and sauté onions at medium heat, stirring frequently. They will wilt, then gradually turn light brown as they caramelize. Regulate heat so the onions do not crisp. When they have reduced by half, move onions to the edges of the skillet and add sugar in the middle. In a few minutes it will begin to bubble then turn light brown as it caramelizes. Stir as needed to keep sugar from sticking or burning.

This is the jam I was attempting to duplicate. It’s lighter in color because they used distilled (i.e. white) vinegar. It’s about $8.50 on Amazon which is not a bad price when you see how much your onions will cook down.

Toss to combine onions and sugar and add salt and pepper and optional herbs. Add vinegar and fold into the onion mix. It will reduce gradually. Turn off the heat and fold some of the onion over the herbs to absorb their flavor; leave the pan on the warm stove till the liquid has evaporated. Remove the herbs and serve the onion jam immediately or transfer to a storage container. It should keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.