Onion Confit

[Shalmanese]

I would be wary of using garlic since it appears to cook faster than onion and might burn and get bitter. IMHO, roasting garlic and then mixing with onion confit when appropriate would be the best way to do it.

[lovebenton0]

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    ?

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I did actually add garlic, minced, to both my batches, with no ill effect. I added one clove per lb. It doesn't taste garlicky. It just becomes part of the mush before the final carmelization process begins. Not bitter at at all. I may try the roasted garlic another time, that would add a different note than the minced, and I agree, that would be best added later. If one added a lot of garlic in proportion I'm not sure what that might do -- roasted becomes nutty sweet anyway.

How's the confit, peanutgirl?

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.

Sage in your confit, Priscilla -- how do you like it?

[Priscilla]

As it turned out I didn't end up adding the sage -- the confit was progressing so nicely, with such a good flavor as it was, that I didn't want to dedicate my entire whole first batch to sage. I can taste on my mental palate, though, sage would be good, and I will add it to a subsequent batch.

The littler pot spent its last hours at 300 degrees rather than 200, which developed the color before the onions fell totally into puree. Turned out beautifully marmalade-like in texture -- just what I wanted!

Already deployed as a condiment on a sausage sandwich; raved over. Looking forward to a blue cheese application. Also I am reminded to go find the Marcella Hazan pasta sauce recipe with caramelized onion ... I think onion confit would only make it better.

Thank you all for the inspiration -- what a good preparation!

[lovebenton0]

As it turned out I didn't end up adding the sage -- the confit was progressing so nicely, with such a good flavor as it was, that I didn't want to dedicate my entire whole first batch to sage.  I can taste on my mental palate, though, sage would be good, and I will add it to a subsequent batch.

The littler pot spent its last hours at 300 degrees rather than 200, which developed the color before the onions fell totally into puree.  Turned out beautifully marmalade-like in texture -- just what I wanted!

Already deployed as a condiment on a sausage sandwich; raved over.  Looking forward to a blue cheese application.  Also I am reminded to go find the Marcella Hazan pasta sauce recipe with caramelized onion ... I think onion confit would only make it better.

Thank you all for the inspiration -- what a good preparation!

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Applause!

That's good, Priscilla, now you know what the basic is and you can play with it in the future.

Tonight will be a lentil soup, rice side with confit for dress.

I'm going to have some of the first confit with Bleu d'Auverne Miramont on toast for lunch. Apples on the side. This was fantastic on baked potatoes!

Let us know what you do with the bleu and confit.

[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    ?

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I did actually add garlic, minced, to both my batches, with no ill effect. I added one clove per lb. It doesn't taste garlicky. It just becomes part of the mush before the final carmelization process begins. Not bitter at at all. I may try the roasted garlic another time, that would add a different note than the minced, and I agree, that would be best added later. If one added a lot of garlic in proportion I'm not sure what that might do -- roasted becomes nutty sweet anyway.

How's the confit, peanutgirl?

I think it came out pretty good... but what do I know? It's only my 1st time . I think I'm going to make a foccacia tomorrow and use it as a topping or even mix into the dough.

Next time I'll use my larger CP (used a 4 qt this time)... and make more ... and try the garlic ... and herbs... . I'm hooked.

[fifi]

Next time I'll use my larger CP (used a 4 qt this time)... and make more  ... and try the garlic  ... and herbs...  . I'm hooked.

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BWAHAHAHAHA! Another member has been indoctrinated.

[Shalmanese]

Oh, yes, for anybody that cares, a thin slice of toast, some chicken liver mousse and onion confit on top is simply divine. The sweetness of the confit cuts through the body of the mousse perfectly.

[Gul_Dekar]

Another person jumping on the onion confit bandwagon! Better late than never I guess. Started Fifi & woodburner's confit recipe on recipeGullet sans demi-glace but with about 2 cups of homemade chicken stock last night in my crockpot and achieved confit late afternoon today.

Took the picture with my webcam, so pic quality's not too good. Just had it wrapped in lettuce as a snack. Delicious!

[lovebenton0]

Another person jumping on the onion confit bandwagon!  Better late than never I guess.   Started Fifi & woodburner's confit recipe on recipeGullet sans demi-glace but with about 2 cups of homemade chicken stock last night in my crockpot and achieved confit late afternoon today.

Took the picture with my webcam, so pic quality's not too good. Just had it wrapped in lettuce as a snack. Delicious!

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Wrapped in lettuce, now that's going pure!

Did you have to cook it on high for a while to reduce that amount of liquid?

Thanks for posting the pic -- it's not that bad.

  Oh, yes, for anybody that cares, a thin slice of toast, some chicken liver mousse and onion confit on top is simply divine. The sweetness of the confit cuts through the body of the mousse perfectly.

Now that sounds really good! Love chicken livers. Have to do some.

I had some onion confit for lunch on toast with poached eggs on top. Mmmmmm!

Really good way to heat the confit a little, just tucked some in the third cup in the poaching pan. (No, I don't poach eggs in a swirl of water, sorry, I let someone else do it that way. )

Next confit try -- with orange juice instead of wine and a little orange peel grated into it at the end. Can't take credit for this -- Paula Wolfert's suggestion: orange onion confit. Seems to me this would be good with all kinds of meat and bird. I might try some very fine candied ginger slivers added near the end also. Hmmm . . . have to think on this one. I could add some to part of the batch and see which way I like it better . . . or just to taste test the difference.

My DH is about to restrict my onion budget any day now!

edit to correct confusing grammar and add comment.

Edited December 10, 2004 by lovebenton0 (log)

[fiftydollars]

...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...

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A couple months ago I braised a brined pork belly. As you can imagine, the operation yielded a substantial amount of fat (cup+). The stuff has a bright golden color, a rich and complicated pork flavor, and it's just incredible. I have so enjoyed using it that I am planning to brine and braise another belly just to get more of this awesome fat.

Anyway, it's disgustingly good for making onion confit.

It's also, quite probably, not the healthiest thing I could be eating. But given that I have relished every teaspoon of these precious few ounces of porcine love I feel so fortunate to have met, doesn't this joy counteract the marginal damage probable from such a small amount of lipid in my already heavily larded lifestyle? If fat is going to kill you, just hope it's eating something this good that does it.

[Gul_Dekar]

Did you have to cook it on high for a while to reduce that amount of liquid?

Yup, I cooked it on high with the lid off for most of the time when I was awake as per the recipe submitted by Marlene, Fifi & woodburner. & had more liquid to start off with than in the recipe anywayz.

[lovebenton0]

Did you have to cook it on high for a while to reduce that amount of liquid?

Yup, I cooked it on high with the lid off for most of the time when I was awake as per the recipe submitted by Marlene, Fifi & woodburner. & had more liquid to start off with than in the recipe anywayz.

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That's why I was wondering what you did, as you had considerably more liquid to start. Just being a curious confit newbie myself. I also start mine pretty high, but haven't needed to cook uncovered for very long before stepping down the heat and covering after the sweat and reduction begins. I plan to use a bit more OJ in the orange onion confit test than I used wine/demi glace in my others.

Good results, Gul_Dekar.

[fifi]

. . . . .

A couple months ago I braised a brined pork belly. As you can imagine, the operation yielded a substantial amount of fat (cup+). The stuff has a bright golden color, a rich and complicated pork flavor, and it's just incredible. I have so enjoyed using it that I am planning to brine and braise another belly just to get more of this awesome fat.

Anyway, it's disgustingly good for making onion confit.

It's also, quite probably, not the healthiest thing I could be eating. But given that I have relished every teaspoon of these precious few ounces of porcine love I feel so fortunate to have met, doesn't this joy counteract the marginal damage probable from such a small amount of lipid in my already heavily larded lifestyle? If fat is going to kill you, just hope it's eating something this good that does it.

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Oh my goodness. I now must go and get some pork belly. This is truly inspired.

Do not discount the healthiness of good and fresh pork fat. It is certainly better than any of that hydrogenated crap. Actually, fresh pork fat isn't that far from olive oil on the healthiness scale.

Where the heck is the pork belly recipe?

[fiftydollars]

Oh my goodness. I now must go and get some pork belly. This is truly inspired.

Do not discount the healthiness of good and fresh pork fat. It is certainly better than any of that hydrogenated crap. Actually, fresh pork fat isn't that far from olive oil on the healthiness scale.

Where the heck is the pork belly recipe?

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A fanatically health conscious friend of mine told me a story about her Mexican grandmother, who is a committed consumer of pork fat and has been her entire life. The family became concerned that maybe all those decades of eating beans with lard three times a day would put grandma at serious cardiac risk. Anyway, she dragged grandma to the doctor and they ran a lipid panel on both of them; striking a blow for heredity, it turned out that both their numbers were good, but grandma's... were better.

I'm not sure what, if anything, a story like this proves... well, except that when it comes to pork I'll believe anything.

[patti]

How long could I expect onion confit to be good, stored in the fridge (and not frozen). Does it taste good after having been frozen?

[Jensen]

A new use for onion confit...I made acorn squash the other night for dinner, following the microwave/broiling instructions in a recent Cook's Illustrated. However, instead of filling the hollow with a butter-brown sugar combo before broiling, I filled it with onion confit.

[carp]

How long could I expect onion confit to be good, stored in the fridge (and not frozen). Does it taste good after having been frozen?

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Tightly wrapped it freezes pretty well. But I like it the best when it is still in the crock pot.

Tightly wrapped I've kept it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks with no problem.

[jgm]

BWAHAHAHAHA! Another member has been indoctrinated.

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More, actually. I started reading this thread for the first time last week, and couldn't stand it. Friday night I headed straight to the grocery from work.

Used 6 large white onions, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt. Cooked in crockpot for over 15 hours, but only part of that was on high. Finally dumped all into a pan on the stove and kept reducing. Added chicken stock and reduced it down... now I have something wonderful. Tried it last night with short ribs.

Big plans for tonight!

[little ms foodie]

after 15 hours in the slow cooker....

it's got a few more to go. Standard eG recipe minus demi glace, added s & p. It's for my xmas dinner- I'm tossing onion confit with roasted yams and sage butter. WHEN will it be Sat?? haha!

[memesuze]

made my first batch this weekend - divvied it into three jars, one for me and two for gifts. Then to help with the gifts, I cut-and-pasted the following list of suggested uses pulled from this thread:

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Onion Confit Uses

accompany grilled meats

base for Alsatian onion tarts (pate brisee topped with onion confit, gruyere cheese, perhaps a few Nicoise olives, and/or anchovies)

accompaniment to baked brie or fried goat-cheese.

heat up some canned beef bouillon and add a tablespoon of confit for "instant French Onion soup."

mixing a portion with some blue cheese (Stilton is good in this) and smearing it on a baguette.

killer topping for pasta after adding some balsamic vinegar

on a baked potato

in some sort of heavenly sandwich or a ploughman's lunch kind of thing, with some exceedingly ripe cheese

over scrambled eggs

with runny cheese, crackers, and a salad

with a crumbly cheese of some sort and pears

poached eggs crowned with the confit

as a topping for bruschetta

with gnocchi

on a pissaladiere

on top of focaccia

portobello mushroom tarte tatin, optional chopped anchovies added near the end

atop a french bread slice, of which has been liberally spread with boursin cheese, and then topped with about a tablespoon of confit - toasted until the bread is crunchy

onion confit mixed with 2 tab of cream and 2 egg yolks as a filling for an onion tart

with pork chops

burgers off the grill topped with confit and sharp cheddar

over pirogis

on some rustic style pizza with roasted peppers and a sprinkling of gorganzola

over some smashed red potatoes with butter

with brie and crackers

eaten by the spoonful

a couple of all beef hot dogs, lathered a layer of onion confit along the bottom edge of a toasted roll, and topped the upper half with housemade sauerkraut

as a garnish on some sliced-steak canapes

scoop of them spread over some rare london broil slices with some wonderful bleu cheese crumbles over top

duxelles in combination with the onion confit and shredded meat to make a filled bread roll

combine the onions with loads of garlic (perhaps up to several heads) and several crushed and chopped tomatoes... could take on a very nice garlicky oniony saucy texture

the onions, garlic, some cayenne, and maybe an assortment of fresh and dried chiles

in mashed potatoes

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Wow, anyone drooling yet....

[handmc]

I have ventured forth into the land of Confit, I followed Fifi's recipe and the went in at 3:00pm. I added both Rosemary and Thyme along with the bay along with a good port.

Will report as the night progresses.

[handmc]

Will report as the night progresses.

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[Mottmott]

I finally played catchup on this thread while making - what else - onion confit!

My most favorite use is in pissaladiere, but I often throw some in various soups, stews, etc. as an enrichment.

I don't use any meat additions (demiglace, stock, etc) as I like to keep mine basic and neutral. Besides, I have a vegetarian DIL. But what I do add, that I haven't noticed any mention of: vinegar. At the end, I will often use it to balance the flavors a bit. Mostly I will use sherry vinegar, but that varies.

[NulloModo]

I am wondering about another variation here. Now that I have pretty much confirmed that a Cookshake Smokette Model 008 will be joining me within the coming weeks, I wonder how well it would work as a confit producing device.

Since the temp can be set to hold in the low 200s I bet one could make a big aluminum tin full of chopped onions and maybe a bit more stock (since it will be left open to allow the smoke in) and make a killer smoked confit. It might even work to add a good number of chopped jalepenos and end up with a Chipotle Onion Confit...

[fifi]

I am wondering about another variation here.  Now that I have pretty much confirmed that a Cookshake Smokette Model 008 will be joining me within the coming weeks, I wonder how well it would work as a confit producing device. 

Since the temp can be set to hold in the low 200s I bet one could make a big aluminum tin full of chopped onions and maybe a bit more stock (since it will be left open to allow the smoke in) and make a killer smoked confit.  It might even work to add a good number of chopped jalepenos and end up with a Chipotle Onion Confit...

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Oh dear . . . That is inspired. I could put a pan in the Weber bullet. It holds a reliable 225 F. You could put some foil over the top at the beginning to get them sweating down then remove the foil for later. Hmmm . . .