Onion Confit

[andiesenji]

Try the onion confit made with duck fat. Duck fat is good fat and has properties that are rare in other fats. (Goose fat has almost the same properities.)

[lovebenton0]

Try the onion confit made with duck fat.  Duck fat is good fat and has properties that are rare in other fats.  (Goose fat has almost the same properities.)

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I would have used duck fat in mine if I had it on hand. However, I did use the rendered chicken fat instead and the result was delicious -- though not as healthy as the duck fat, no worse than butter I imagine.

Fifi, I started to do prep work for the cinnamon basil/onion confit. Will have to start cooking mine tomorrow due to problems this afternoon while cutting onions. Vertigo and knives are not good companions! Heading to bed -- again -- just checking in. More tomorrow. Will be looking for your pics!

[fifi]

I am thinking of selling my first born for a bucket of duck fat.

I am 5 hours into the current confit experiment. The rosemary "packets" went in at about hour 3 when the onions had yukked out their juice. The crockpot was turned to low and the lid removed for now.

[Shalmanese]

Simple, just add roast duck to your menu once a month and you get lots of nummy duck fat for confits, roast potatos etc.

[lovebenton0]

I am thinking of selling my first born for a bucket of duck fat. 

I am 5 hours into the current confit experiment. The rosemary "packets" went in at about hour 3 when the onions had yukked out their juice. The crockpot was turned to low and the lid removed for now.

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It must be turning a beautiful amber about now. How's it going?

How much rosemary did you use, fifi?

Yes, duck fat! It must be time to roast up a lovely, Shalmanese. This time of year is when I enjoy the rich bird flesh the most.

Continuing with confit prep, slowly, now that I'm feeling more even. I've stripped the stems of the cinnamon basil, have leaves and budlings in separate piles.

Pics, fifi!

[jayt90]

Just a comment here, jayt -- if the purpose for trying the confit in the pressure cooker was to insure the softness of the onions then subsequently finish it by crockpot or in the oven (I remember a discussion upthread about the onions remaining too firm for some), then 30 minutes in a pressure cooker is a long time for sliced onions! I would suggest 3 to 4 minutes at the most -- if that is your intent.  If you were just seeing what it would do and taking one for the team on onion confit in a PC, then disregard all of this, except my thanks for doing so. And use the onions for cream of onion soup! 

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I wanted to use the pressure cooker to get the cooking time down. It did help, as I was able to finish it in a wok for about an hour. Still too soft, like carmelised onion jam. So the next try will be 4 min. in the pressure cooker as you have suggested. This may provide a firm/soft texture, and keep the initial onion smell down, while yielding a good base for finishing in the oven.

[fifi]

The rosemary confit isn't done yet. I am having to switch gears and move it out of the crockpot and into the Le Creuset and the oven. When it got cooked way down overnight, there wasn't enough mass in the crockpot and a couple of hot spots developed. So as to keep the caramelization even, I have opted to move it. I still think this crockpot runs hotter than it should. It is fine for usual crockpot recipes but that flaw seems to show up with confit.

Patience is a virtue!

[Priscilla]

OK, I'm making onion confit today, inspired by this wonderful discussion, and a bunch of yellow storage onions in the basket there. It'll be an oven version -- no crock pot, but I've got a vintage Descoware oval that has never ever let me down volunteering itself for the job.

I apologize in advance if this is something I missed in the discussion thus far, but if I don't get on it there won't BE any confit: I want to use bacon fat ... has the bacon fat question been addressed? I also plan to use a sprig of sage on down the line.

Also adding braunschweiger to the old shopping list.

[Shalmanese]

Given how well bacon pairs with onions, I'm sure bacon fat would be perfect with onion confit.

[lovebenton0]

Just a comment here, jayt -- if the purpose for trying the confit in the pressure cooker was to insure the softness of the onions then subsequently finish it by crockpot or in the oven (I remember a discussion upthread about the onions remaining too firm for some), then 30 minutes in a pressure cooker is a long time for sliced onions! I would suggest 3 to 4 minutes at the most -- if that is your intent.  If you were just seeing what it would do and taking one for the team on onion confit in a PC, then disregard all of this, except my thanks for doing so. And use the onions for cream of onion soup! 

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I wanted to use the pressure cooker to get the cooking time down. It did help, as I was able to finish it in a wok for about an hour. Still too soft, like carmelised onion jam. So the next try will be 4 min. in the pressure cooker as you have suggested. This may provide a firm/soft texture, and keep the initial onion smell down, while yielding a good base for finishing in the oven.

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Great! We love testing!

I arrived at the four minute suggestion because that's how long I cook sliced onions in mine as part of a recipe or to add to something else. If it's not what you expect at that point, try a couple more minutes, no harm done.

[lovebenton0]

OK, I'm making onion confit today, inspired by this wonderful discussion, and a bunch of yellow storage onions in the basket there.  It'll be an oven version -- no crock pot, but I've got a vintage Descoware oval that has never ever let me down volunteering itself for the job.

I apologize in advance if this is something I missed in the discussion thus far, but if I don't get on it there won't BE any confit:  I want to use bacon fat ... has the bacon fat question been addressed?  I also plan to use a sprig of sage on down the line.

Also adding braunschweiger to the old shopping list.

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Ooooh! Yes! I think bacon fat would do quite well -- consider the extra salt you're adding by using that.

And braunschweiger with bacon fat onion confit -- that does that sound like a lunch begging to be eaten!

Sage, good! Another herb spoken for.

The rosemary confit isn't done yet. I am having to switch gears and move it out of the crockpot and into the Le Creuset and the oven. When it got cooked way down overnight, there wasn't enough mass in the crockpot and a couple of hot spots developed. So as to keep the caramelization even, I have opted to move it. I still think this crockpot runs hotter than it should. It is fine for usual crockpot recipes but that flaw seems to show up with confit.

Patience is a virtue! 

Yes it is, virtuous fifi!

Update on cinnamon basil confit. Started cooking at 2:20AM. I infused the 3 Tbsp of red wine with the cinnamon basil and added that at hour 2 this time. Then I finely hand crushed more of the cinnamon basil leaves (to yield about 2 Tbsp) and added that this morning at hour 7. I still added the bay leaves (for a nice low note) at the beginning of sweat, and I upped the black pepper in this a bit more than strict proportional increase. (Just because I like the combo in other uses, so why not? And cinnamon and black pepper are such standard savory companions it seemed the right thing to do.)

O! M! G! I wish I could jet this to you! The flavor is fantastic! Warm and spicy with a back side to the black pepper and subtle bay coming through as there, but not bay marked as such. Have to credit those lovely herbs from the garden outside my back door. They must love me. We need sensorynet!

I have followed my first experience as far as timing and temp control of the crockpot. Seems to be doing a good job. Since my batch is about doubled this time it took longer for the onions to sweat all the way out and start reducing, but seems to be on schedule otherwise. Or at least close to it. I think I have about two hours to go, leaving it set on medium low (2) for now, probably another hour (? I'll be watching it ), then finish on (1) for last 60-90 minutes this time. That wil be hour 12, so I'll see at that point. Reduction is almost done and the confit is a deep carmelized amber with a red sheen as was the first one at this stage.

[fifi]

Oddly enough, when I did it with bacon I found it disappointing. I used the bacon itself and the texture wasn't all that great so I am sure that added to my disappointment. From the flavor aspect, I kind of felt like the flavors were at war with each other or something strange like that. Using the bacon fat alone may be a whole different thing. I say try it. It isn't like it is a big investment.

[fifi]

Here we go with the rosemary confit. Here is where I started:

5 pounds of onions after trimming

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chicken stock concentrate

1/2 tsp kosher salt

a wad of rosemary

Take a look at the onions. For one thing I sliced them a little larger than I have in the past. Also note all of those separate onion layers. Those were mighty strange onions. As I was slicing them they literally flew apart like a cut rubber band.

This is what I did with the rosemary to capture the leaves. You can also get an idea how much I used. I did say I was going over the top.

After about four hours in the crockpot on high with the cover on, this is what I had. I added in the rosemary, took the lid off and turned the pot to low.

After about ten hours, it was starting to get there and noticed the hot spots I mentioned above so I moved it to my little LC and into a 200 F oven. I took the rosemary out when I did this as I figured that it had done all it was going to do. About three more hours in the oven and this is how it ended up.

I took this batch a bit darker than I have in the past because it was annoyingly sweet at first. I have a feeling that those onions were fairly old or had been cured to a lower water content. Perhaps that explains the springing apart that I saw when I sliced them. They also didn't have as much water to get rid of as I have seen before. What you see in the third picture is all the liquid they ever gave up. They must have been very strong as well and that may have contributed to the sweetness.

I was concerned that the rosemary may have been too much. It really wasn't. There is a nice background rosemary flavor and aroma but there is no doubt that this is onion confit. Being a strong and sturdy herb, I added it at hour four. I would wait quite a bit longer for leafier, tenderer herbs I think.

I also think that for the next batch I am going with the Le Creuset in the oven all the way. (I am not having a lot of luck with crock pots lately. I was better off with the old wimpy pot.) I am also wondering if the oven method will cut the time like it does for dried beans and paprika chicken.

[lovebenton0]

Here we go with the rosemary confit. Here is where I started:

5 pounds of onions after trimming

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chicken stock concentrate

1/2 tsp kosher salt

a wad of rosemary

Take a look at the onions. For one thing I sliced them a little larger than I have in the past. Also note all of those separate onion layers. Those were mighty strange onions. As I was slicing them they literally flew apart like a cut rubber band.

This is what I did with the rosemary to capture the leaves. You can also get an idea how much I used. I did say I was going over the top.

After about four hours in the crockpot on high with the cover on, this is what I had. I added in the rosemary, took the lid off and turned the pot to low.

After about ten hours, it was starting to get there and noticed the hot spots I mentioned above so I moved it to my little LC and into a 200 F oven. I took the rosemary out when I did this as I figured that it had done all it was going to do. About three more hours in the oven and this is how it ended up.

I took this batch a bit darker than I have in the past because it was annoyingly sweet at first. I have a feeling that those onions were fairly old or had been cured to a lower water content. Perhaps that explains the springing apart that I saw when I sliced them. They also didn't have as much water to get rid of as I have seen before. What you see in the third picture is all the liquid they ever gave up. They must have been very strong as well and that may have contributed to the sweetness.

I was concerned that the rosemary may have been too much. It really wasn't. There is a nice background rosemary flavor and aroma but there is no doubt that this is onion confit. Being a strong and sturdy herb, I added it at hour four. I would wait quite a bit longer for leafier, tenderer herbs I think.

I also think that for the next batch I am going with the Le Creuset in the oven all the way. (I am not having a lot of luck with crock pots lately. I was better off with the old wimpy pot.) I am also wondering if the oven method will cut the time like it does for dried beans and paprika chicken.

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Beautiful, fifi! Thanks for the pics. That is a substantial amount of rosemary -- and good to know that for later on.

I wish I had had five lbs of onions to start, but that will give me an excuse to do another 3.5 to 4 lbs of onion confit with mint next time. Soon!

I didn't take pics all along the way this time, as it really wasn't looking that different and I didn't think about doing pics of the wine infusion (cinnamon basil) or crushed dried cinnamon basil later on. But this is what I did. Note: I have been slicing my onions fairly thick also, and varying the the thickness somewhat (intentionally, not just out of klutziness ).

Cinnamon Basil Onion Confit

3 lbs yellow onions, quartered and sliced (not sweet)

2 large purple onions, quartered and sliced

1/3 cup EVOO

1/4 cup chicken fat (rendered)

3 Tbsp demi glace

1/4 cup red wine (Beaujolais or other)

4 to 6 cloves minced garlic (1 Tbsp)

3 bay leaves

2 Tbsp cinnamon basil infused in wine

2 Tbsp cinnamon basil leaves (dried and finely hand crushed)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

Sweat onions on med high (4) in crockpot uncovered, for 45 minutes with bay leaves in EVOO, fat, and demiglace.

Cover. Add wine infusion at hour 2.

Reduce heat to med (3) at hour 3.

Add crushed cinnamon basil at hour 7.

Reduce heat to med low (2) for next 2 to 3 hours.

Finished at low (1) for last 90 minutes until marmalade stage has been reached.

I uncovered the crockpot for the last 20 minutes and stirred the onions frequently as they were in the final marmalade stage.

This produced a little over a pint jar of confit. Just fit into jar nicely after we had some on bread as a quickie appetizer before dinner. For testing purposes of course.

The cinnnamon basil held up nicely throughout the cooking stage. As with your rosemary, fifi, it is a nice flavor note, still obviously onion confit, but with that little extra warmth and spicy flavor of the herb and the pepper. I think if I wanted more of a cinnamon flavor to come through (the cinnamon basil smells strongly of cinnamon, but the flavor, even fresh, is not really that exactly as it is still distinctly a basil) I would add a few shards of stick cinnamon to the onions.

Cinnamon onion confit complete at 13 hours.

Priscilla, how's the sage enhanced confit coming along?

[jayt90]

We have tackled a lot of issues here, but there is one nagging question in my mind: the sweetness level.

It would be foolish to start with Vidalia, or any obviously sweet variety, but it is also possible that using large onions is a mistake. Perhaps the root (sorry, corm) stores more sugar as it grows larger. When I start my next confit, on the weekend, it will be with small sharp-scented onions, and I'll spot test their sweetness when raw, compared to the large onions in the cellar.

[lovebenton0]

We have tackled a lot of issues here, but there is one nagging question in my mind:  the sweetness level.

It would be foolish to start with Vidalia, or any obviously sweet variety, but it is also possible that using large onions is a mistake. Perhaps the root (sorry, corm) stores more sugar as it grows larger.  When I start my next confit, on the weekend, it will be with small sharp-scented onions, and I'll spot test their sweetness when raw, compared to the large onions in the cellar.

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I used large onions for my first confit -- with no sugar -- also no cloying sweetness. With the second I used small very sharply scented/flavored yellow onions (you'd have thought my dog died if you'd walked into the kitchen while I was cutting them!), and large purple onions. Still no cloying sweetness. So I'm not sure what the difference is between what I'm experiencing and what others are experiencing.

Fifi brought out the point of letting hers go darker than usual yesterday with the rosemary, in an effort to cook past the extreme sweetness. I've let both of mine go to a very deep stage for the color and marmalade texture. Maybe that is contributing to the lower sweetness level. It does taste sweeter to me several hours into the cooking than it does when finished. Also the overall flavor intensifies after some set up time in the fridge -- definite difference in the first (thyme/bay leaf) confit after a couple of days.

Of course, the next batch could send me into sugar orbit . . .

[fifi]

We have tackled a lot of issues here, but there is one nagging question in my mind:  the sweetness level.

It would be foolish to start with Vidalia, or any obviously sweet variety, but it is also possible that using large onions is a mistake. Perhaps the root (sorry, corm) stores more sugar as it grows larger.  When I start my next confit, on the weekend, it will be with small sharp-scented onions, and I'll spot test their sweetness when raw, compared to the large onions in the cellar.

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Here is the rule of thumb:

sweet onions = not so sweet confit

strong onions = sweet confit

If sweetness is what you want in the finished product, get the strongest onions you can find. My complaint about this batch being too sweet is probably due to using very strong white onions. Previously I have used all yellow onions. I am now thinking of taking lovebenton0's approach and blending. I really don't want my finished product to be very sweet. If "sweet" onions are available I may blend some with the strong onions so a few Vidalias or 1015s may not be a waste if you don't want a sweet confit. Regarding "the rule," I would predict that there will be all kinds of annoying variations in between. Like the water content varies, I think managing sweetness will be a crap shoot unless you can do a thousand batches, tasting the raw onions then the confit, and can store that knowledge in your "flavor brain."

[peanutgirl]

About to lose my onion confit virginity since this thread keeps coming up.

I just peeled 3lbs. of onions... how much butter/ olive oil should I use? I don't want any of the fancified versions you all are experimenting with by adding herbs... I just want to try the confit in all it's unadorned glory.

1/2 a stick of butter and a glug of olive oil?

No time to wade through the whole 14(???) pages right now... I'm planning on making Foodman's Laban Ummo today too.

[lovebenton0]

We have tackled a lot of issues here, but there is one nagging question in my mind:  the sweetness level.

It would be foolish to start with Vidalia, or any obviously sweet variety, but it is also possible that using large onions is a mistake. Perhaps the root (sorry, corm) stores more sugar as it grows larger.  When I start my next confit, on the weekend, it will be with small sharp-scented onions, and I'll spot test their sweetness when raw, compared to the large onions in the cellar.

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Here is the rule of thumb:

sweet onions = not so sweet confit

strong onions = sweet confit

If sweetness is what you want in the finished product, get the strongest onions you can find. My complaint about this batch being too sweet is probably due to using very strong white onions. Previously I have used all yellow onions. I am now thinking of taking lovebenton0's approach and blending. I really don't want my finished product to be very sweet. If "sweet" onions are available I may blend some with the strong onions so a few Vidalias or 1015s may not be a waste if you don't want a sweet confit. Regarding "the rule," I would predict that there will be all kinds of annoying variations in between. Like the water content varies, I think managing sweetness will be a crap shoot unless you can do a thousand batches, tasting the raw onions then the confit, and can store that knowledge in your "flavor brain."

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". . . a thousand batches . . . " At least!

We did discuss this some on the previous page.

I tried another batch last night, with red onions.

My issue with the confit however is that it always comes out really sweet, the natural sugars of the onions seem to concentrate.

Does anyone know of onions that are lower in natural sugars?  I would love to make a more savory confit with a little more bite and less of the sweet onion flavor, where should I turn?

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Well, I'm not sure what I did, but the onion confit I made yesterday is not overly sweet, just sweet enough, and quite flavorful. If you go by the advice that fifi posted, i.e. sweet onions cook up less sweet than sharp onions you would actually end up with a less sweet confit. However, the other point is that the sweets carry less flavor, but perhaps with the addition of other herbs you might tailor your confit to a more specific purpose. And maybe the use of the red wine in mine opposed to the sweeter port had something to do with the less sweet factor, also I added no sugar, at all. Also I did not use butter -- which is naturally sweet, but used rendered chicken fat with the EVOO.

And hopefully, someone with much more confit experience than I have, will jump in here for you, NulloModo.

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And somebody has. Thanks, fifi.

[lovebenton0]

About to lose my onion confit virginity since this thread keeps coming up.

I just peeled 3lbs. of onions... how much butter/ olive oil should I use? I don't want any of the fancified versions you all are experimenting with by adding herbs... I just want to try the confit in all it's unadorned glory.

1/2 a stick of butter and a glug of olive oil?

No time to wade through the whole 14(???) pages right now... I'm planning on making Foodman's Laban Ummo today too.

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Well, we've all come up with something a bit different.

But since I'm answering right now . . . what I have to say is if you don't want any herbs at all (the earlier versions were not herb confits just the usual addition of herb as very low notes) don't add any herbs. The addition of bay leaves and a sprig or two of thyme or some herb of your choice lends a nice bit of complexity to the confit without making it "fancified." You have time to add any herbs later if you choose, plenty of time.

3 lbs of onions

1/4 cup butter

about equal OO or EVOO

1/2 tsp salt (scant)

1/2 tsp pepper

2 or three Tbsp of red wine, port, sherry your pick

2 or 3 Tbsp of demi glace or reduced stock (if you want, it seems to even out the sweetness a bit)

Do the do.

[peanutgirl]

Thank you so much!

I do have thyme, so I think I will add that even though I originally planned not to. The additon of sherry sounds good as well. Back to the kitchen .

edit to ask: has anyone added garlic to theirs? Would that defeat the purpose, or just change it into a completely different type of confit ?

Edited December 7, 2004 by peanutgirl (log)

[fifi]

. . . . .

I just peeled 3lbs. of onions... how much butter/ olive oil should I use? I don't want any of the fancified versions you all are experimenting with by adding herbs... I just want to try the confit in all it's unadorned glory.

1/2 a stick of butter and a glug of olive oil?

. . . . .

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For five pounds of onions, I have been using a stick of butter and a half cup of olive oil. It seems to come out like I like it. You could just scale back a bit for three pounds but you don't have to be too precise about this. The purist approach the first time around is probably a good thing. Add a little salt. I use about a half teaspoon for the five pounds.

[Priscilla]

Priscilla, how's the sage enhanced confit coming along?

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It is coming along nicely, thank you for asking, Lovebenton. Not finished yet, however ... I've just bunged it back in the oven at 200 degrees, switched to a small Cousances (like Le Creuset, Descoware) round, uncovered, to continue.

After more than six hours' cooking yesterday, covered for the first two hours, uncovered for the rest, it got to light tan/still very liquidy. Haven't added the sage yet; waiting for greater reduction. I allowed a glug of Marsala in there too, at the beginning.

I never was inspired to save bacon fat before we came upon the Niman Ranch uncured bacon a couple of years ago (they also market regular cured). The fat resulting from cooking it is so pure and sweet, quite like fresh lard with a subtle whiff of smoke. And it only gets saved then if the bacon's been cooked in the oven, where the fat doesn't get overheated and indigestible. So, all this to say, the snowy white Niman Ranch uncured bacon fat so far seems an excellent fat for this task. (Among others; I use it in biscuits, and breads where lard is the desired fat.)

The reason onion confit especially appeals is because a favorite pizza in my house has been for years caramelized onions with a blue cheese, like Gorgonzola. Blue cheese and caramelized onion, in general, is a flavor profile I keep exploiting. Seems to me that a chunk of some blue cheese and a jar of way-caramelized onion confit would be a very good thing to have in one's fridge.

[peanutgirl]

Thanks to you too fifi .

Just turned the CP on so now the wait begins. I'm sure it'll be as good as everyone has posted... why else would there be a 14 page thread on onions .

[andiesenji]

In the next-to-last batch I made, (duck fat not used because it was being saved for something else), I used half butter and half coconut oil.

I mentioned this stuff (expensive) in some posts back in the summer.

It is wonderful in slow, low temp cooking so lends itself well to the confit.

I can't define the difference in flavor, you can't taste the coconut, it simply smooths it out and gives a broader range of flavors. It seems to enhance all the flavors.

I also used it in my last batch of duxelles and it was also excellent.