Sweet-and-Sour Cipolline Onions
A delicate side dish of small onions slowly cooked in a caramelized wine and vinegar sauce. These sweet and tangy onions are perfect as an accompaniment to roasted meats or as part of an antipasto platter.
Ingredients
- •2 lb cipolline or small (1 1/2-inch) white boiling onions, left unpeeled
- •1 cup sugar
- •¼ cup water
- •1 cup dry red wine
- •1 cup red-wine vinegar
- •2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- •1 teaspoon salt
- •10 whole whole black peppercorns
- •1 leaf Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
- •1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Blanch onions in a large pot of boiling water 1 minute, then drain in a colander and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain and peel onions.
5 min
- 2.
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup turns pale golden. Continue to cook caramel, gently swirling pan, until deep golden.
15 min
- 3.
Immediately remove from heat, then carefully add wine (caramel will steam vigorously and harden). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.
10 min
- 4.
Add onions, red-wine vinegar, oil, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 1 hour. Transfer onions to a bowl using a slotted spoon, then boil liquid until reduced to about 1 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar, then pour liquid over onions and cool to room temperature. Chill, covered, 1 to 3 days (for flavors to develop).
75 min
- 5.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
1 min
