Thursday, October 2, 2014

Cooking Basics - Onions and Garlic

Nothing compares to the aroma of frying onions and garlic. I'll just be starting dinner, and hubby will walk in saying, "that smells so good! whatcha making?"  Um, an onion?

But really, knowing how to create a good onion base for your meals is important. I've read many recipes calling for onion and garlic that advise one to put those two things in the pan at the same time. Please, for the love of Food, do not do this. Garlic only needs to be sauteed until aromatic, which takes about 30 seconds. Any longer, and it burns. Onions, on the other hand need to cook several minutes to really bring out their flavor. I always thought I didn't like onions, but I was eating undercooked onions, which are gross. An onion slowly sauteed in olive oil (or butter) until golden is a marvelous thing. It will add a wonderful richness to all of your savory recipes.

The key is not to stop when onions are softened or translucent:



...but to keep cooking until they really start to look golden, and even slightly browned around some of the edges:



Only then should you add the minced garlic. Stir it around for about 30 seconds until you smell that garlicky aroma. Then, proceed with the rest of the recipe, frying some spices or adding liquid as required.


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