Caramelized Onions

There is not a huge backstory to this recipe.  What I will say is that you don’t need a fancy balsamic vinegar to top it off — a sharp vinegar adds acidity to the sweetness of the onions and the sugar.  I once grabbed my mom’s imported (read: expensive) balsamic by accident and used most of the bottle to get the same tangy flavor.

During the long cooking time, you can occupy yourself with other chores.  I alternated between stirring the onions and running upstairs to frantically clean my room for an epic potluck with my beloved FCM group.

In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil on medium high heat.  After a minute or two, add the onions and a generous sprinkling of salt and toss to coat.  Turn down the heat to medium-low after 5 minutes, and stir only occasionally.  The onions may take anywhere from 30-60 minutes to caramelize; keep sampling until they brown a bit and taste soft and sweet.  Turn up the heat, add the brown sugar and the balsamic vinegar, and stir periodically until all of the loose liquid has disappeared.  Allow to cool before adding the onions to your salad, sandwich, grilled cheese, galette, pizza, burger, baked potato…

A nice addition to any of these would be some goat or feta cheese.

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