Onion Confit

[NulloModo]

Hmmm, the last bowl I made lasted around a week in the fridge before mold showed up on top, but then again, it was just in a mixing bowl with saran wrap on top, not in a jar.

I am coming to discover I really dislike the taste of thyme, and that I am not that big on sherry either, both of which were ingredients my last go around. I am going to try a really basic just onion, salt, pepper, and olive oil or butter route.

After that I might try my Italian oregano/rosemary/tomato idea too.

[fifi]

I encourage you to go with your preferences. I, for one, tend to keep my onion confit "pure". I can add herbal notes or other flavors after the fact. I have added rosemary for a condiment for a pork roast. That was awesome.

[Marlene]

I generally keep my confit pure as well, although I do add a little port or sherry. By the time it's done, I can't taste either as in individual taste. And my confit is never around long enough to see how long it takes to go bad

[reesek]

well - i used the rest of the batch i made november 5th/6th last night in a dish for a party. the confit was fine. it had been in a bowl covered with press & seal (but not first-use. if you've used P&S you know what i mean) there was a little liquid in the bowl which i poured off, but it smelled fine and there was no trace of mold.

leftover confit fondue thing:

1 cup of (aged) confit

1 pound (less would have been fine) grated cheese - i used raclette and gruyere

1 T thyme

1-2 T sherry

milk - 1/2 - 3/4 c

1-2 T butter

1-2 T flour

my roux making wasn't very exact, but it all thickened very nicely. i melted the butter, added and whisked the flour for a few minutes, added confit, milk and sherry and the the grated cheese. oh, and i sliced and added a jalepeno, and then some pepper, and a tablespoon of mustard. served with green apples and potato chips. it was good. fondue-y. would have been better with bread.

[andiesenji]

I treat onion confit as I do any confit, to keep it fresh and good.

I put it in a sterilized canning jar, (just large enough to hold it with an inch of head room) press it down so there are no air pockets, then pour melted duck fat over it to a depth of 1/2 inch.

You could use a neutral oil if you don't have duck fat but it is easy to break the cold fat and lift it off the confit, in fact, I melt it, strain it and save it in the fridge and use it again.

The whole point is to keep air away from the surface of the preserve and duck fat makes a fine seal as it adheres nicely to glass.

Melted Crisco works too, in a pinch. It has no flavor to interfere with the flavor of the confit.

I treat duxelles the same way and it keeps for a long time. As long as the air/oxygen can't get to the surface of the food, it won't sour, spoil or develop mold.

[fifi]

I have to report a use of confit that I haven't tried yet but comes highly recommended.

My sister had a jar of onion confit in the back of the fridge. She was baking some sweet potatoes, scooped them out of their skins, put them in a casserole with some butter, then spied the confit. On a whim, for about three potatoes, she added about a half a cup of onion confit to the sweet potato in the casserole dish. She and the guests went nuts. She has done the same thing a couple of times now to rave reviews. She also reports that a good grating of nutmeg doesn't hurt.

I can't wait to try this.

[bloviatrix]

Friday night I served to my guests slices of toasted baguette topped with warm onion confit as an amuse. Total hit!! I give you all credit for the success.

[Al_Dente]

Sorry to ask a question that may have already been covered in these 11 pages, but I don't have a crock pot and I'm coming into the Onion Confit situation late in the game. I do, however, have a 7 quart Le Creuset. How can I make it with that? I was thinking I'd saute everything for 15 mins or so in the pot and then put in a 250 degree oven overnight? Or is that too high? 200 degrees?

This will be on the Thanksgiving table!

[Marlene]

Welcome to the world of confit Al. I warn you, life will never be the same again

see here for the oven oven method.

[andiesenji]

Friday night I served to my guests slices of toasted baguette topped with warm onion confit as an amuse.  Total hit!!  I give you all credit for the success.

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Try pairing it with duxelles, half and half on a slice. Takes it to an entirely new dimension!

[Al_Dente]

The confit is rockin in the oven.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[Marlene]

Good luck Al! You're going to love this stuff.

[Marlene]

So Al. How did it go?

[Al_Dente]

So Al.  How did it go?

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Well... not sure yet. I had to give up on it because it was too soupy. So I put it in the fridge, headed out to my Thanksgiving festivities, and then put it back in the oven overnight. My GF is keeping an eye on it today while I'm at work. It smells great, the color is fine, but there's just too much liquid yet.

[Marlene]

Do you have it covered? You may want her to take the lid off. I know mine takes at least 18 hours in a crock pot.

[Al_Dente]

Do you have it covered?  You may want her to take the lid off.  I know mine takes at least 18 hours in a crock pot.

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Did it about 5 hours covered. Now it's been about TWELVE uncovered. I just checked in with my ol' lady and she said it's definitely reducing, but not there yet. We'll check it out in another couple of hours. I hope to have some tonight come hell or high oil!

Edited November 26, 2004 by Al_Dente (log)

[Marlene]

If it's not done in a couple of hours, I might take it out of the oven and reduce it on the stove slowly.

note to Al's ol' lady (now there's a term I haven't heard in years) buy Al a crockpot for Christmas so he can make perfect confit every time.

[Marmish]

I have to report a use of confit that I haven't tried yet but comes highly recommended. 

My sister had a jar of onion confit in the back of the fridge. She was baking some sweet potatoes, scooped them out of their skins, put them in a casserole with some butter, then spied the confit. On a whim, for about three potatoes, she added about a half a cup of onion confit to the sweet potato in the casserole dish. She and the guests went nuts. She has done the same thing a couple of times now to rave reviews. She also reports that a good grating of nutmeg doesn't hurt.

I can't wait to try this.

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Last year, I made a mashed sweet potato dish with carmelized onions, pancetta, and mascarpone or cream cheese. They were very good.

[Puck Confit]

I've found that a great use for onion confit is in sandwiches. Especially grilled cheese sandwiches and variations on that theme.

Specifically, Ciabatta, a nice aged cheddar (or gruyere) and some thinly sliced tart apples. And of course, the onion confit. I grill it Panini style and have found that a scant scattering of finely chopped tarragon works well with this combo. Good stuff!

Of course, there are a million different variations here. I've done it with various blue cheeses as well, and switched up the apple with a crisp pear on sourdough. More good stuff! :)

[fifi]

I've found that a great use for onion confit is in sandwiches.  Especially grilled cheese sandwiches and variations on that theme.

Specifically, Ciabatta, a nice aged cheddar (or gruyere) and some thinly sliced tart apples.  And of course, the onion confit.  I grill it Panini style and have found that a scant scattering of finely chopped tarragon works well with this combo.  Good stuff!

Of course, there are a million different variations here.  I've done it with various blue cheeses as well, and switched up the apple with a crisp pear on sourdough.  More good stuff! :)

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Oh my goodness those combos sound good. I really like the apple idea. There are probably endless rifs on this theme. I think that this long thread is satrting to develop into some really fine and creative uses of this fantastic stuff.

[Al_Dente]

If it's not done in a couple of hours, I might take it out of the oven and reduce it on the stove slowly.

note to Al's ol' lady (now there's a term I haven't heard in years)  buy Al a crockpot for Christmas so he can make perfect confit every time.

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It was still a little soupy, but tasted great over leftover turkey and mashed potatoes. Powerful stuff. Much gastrointestinal distress amongst all those who sampled it. But it was worth it.

[winesonoma]

I have borrowed the GF's crock-pot and will begin the adventure shortly. I'm using Marlene's recipe and will hopefully post pictures. Planning on a pork roast tomorrow to have it with.

[fifi]

I have borrowed the GF's crock-pot and will begin the adventure shortly. I'm using Marlene's recipe and will hopefully post pictures. Planning on a pork roast tomorrow to have it with.

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Best of luck on your journey. And may your onions not be laden with water. (Otherwise, you might want to plan on that pork roast for Tuesday. )

[winesonoma]

It's been in for 1 hour and lucky I have an engagement elsewhere as my eyes are starting to water. I'll put the fan on low. Had me crying as I sliced them. More later.

What does done look like? 7 hours and went to low, more tomorrow.

Edited November 29, 2004 by winesonoma (log)

[Chufi]

OK. I've read through 11 pages of confit info and decided it was time to make my own.

Cut up some onions..put them in the pan with oil, butter, pepper. No port in the house so I added some Marsala. No demi-glace so I added some reduced red wine sauce from a coq au vin style dish that I made yesterday.

Put the thing in the oven (don't have a crockpot, in fact I'm wondering if these things exist in my country..never seen one).

It's now about 7 hours later and it looks pretty much done, but I'll give it another hour or so. It looks, smells and tastes delicious.

2 things: next time I'll have thicker slices so the finished thing has a bit more texture (mine is pretty mushy). And next time I'll make more.