The pan-fried onions make an excellent side dish, perfect even for a tasty bruschetta. Try them inside a sandwich with roasted peppers or grilled vegetables.
For this recipe, I stewed large and flattened Sicilian Giarratana onions (Slow Food presidium) with a sweet, non-pungent flavor, quick to prepare, and that do not make you cry when cutting.
SEASON for fresh white #onions: from March to December
Harvest of Giarratana onion: from July to August
RECIPES with onions
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Energy 228.71 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.76 (g) of which sugars 19.23 (g)
- Proteins 3.27 (g)
- Fat 9.86 (g) of which saturated 1.59 (g)of which unsaturated 0.13 (g)
- Fibers 5.14 (g)
- Sodium 400.38 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Pan-Fried Onions
- 1.2 lbs white onion (Giarratana or Margherita IGP)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (or peanut oil)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or white wine)
- 1 sprig thyme (or oregano or rosemary)
- to taste nutmeg (freshly ground)
- 1 leaf bay (dried)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp muscovado sugar (or brown sugar)
- to taste black pepper (freshly ground)
Tools
- Cutting Board
- Knife well-sharpened
- Pan shallow and wide with lid
- Ladle wooden
Pan-Fried Onions
First, peel the onions, quickly wash them, and cut them into slices about half an inch thick.
Pour the oil, water, sliced onions, and coarse salt into a suitable-sized pan.
Optionally add a dried bay leaf and/or a garlic clove in its skin.
Turn on the heat to medium flame and cover. Cook and stir as needed for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed.
Then pour the wine vinegar* (or apple or white or red wine based on your taste) and continue cooking for another 10 – 15 minutes until the onion slices are soft but still intact and compact.
* if desired, add a tablespoon of sugar to the vinegar to make this dish sweeter.
ALTERNATIVES or VARIATIONS of Pan-Fried Onions
– GRATINATED: add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs in the last 5 minutes of cooking to make the pan-fried onions heartier
– SWEET AND SOUR – caramelized onions: sprinkle the onion slices in the pan with a tablespoon of brown sugar before starting the cooking and add a second halfway through
– with BALSAMIC VINEGAR: for a more intense flavor and color, use balsamic vinegar or red wine
STORAGE
Store the sautéed onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
other ways to cook the giant Giarattana onion
other ways to cook the giant Giarattana onion
BAKED ONIONS
Remove only the driest outer leaves of the onions, wash them externally leaving them whole in their tunic. Place them whole on the oven tray covered with parchment paper and bake at 340°F for about an hour and a half.
Serve at the table and once cut, season as desired.
