CookEat Recipe

Sweet-and-Sour Small Onions

Small white onions gently cooked whole in a light caramel, flour and vinegar sauce.

Method

Steps

  1. Step 1

    Gather the ingredients: 300 g small white onions, each a little larger than a walnut; 40 g sugar, plus a little more only if needed to balance the sauce; 15 g plain flour; 100 ml water for the sauce; 40 ml white wine vinegar, plus a little more only if needed; Salt; Water for blanching.

  2. Step 2

    Peel the onions and trim away dry ends without cutting through the root base, so they remain whole. Blanch in boiling salted water for about 3–5 minutes, then drain.

  3. Step 3

    Put the 40 g sugar in a dry saucepan over moderate heat. Let it melt, then add the flour and stir continuously until the mixture becomes a reddish amber colour. Do not let it burn.

  4. Step 4

    Mix the 100 ml water and 40 ml vinegar. Take the caramel pan off the heat and carefully add this liquid a little at a time, standing back from any steam or splashing. Return to gentle heat and simmer, stirring, until any lumps have dissolved into a smooth sauce.

  5. Step 5

    Add the blanched onions. Cover partly and simmer gently for about 20–30 minutes, until tender. Shake the pan frequently to coat and move them; avoid stirring with a spoon, which may break them. Add a small splash of hot water if the sauce thickens before the onions are ready.

  6. Step 6

    Taste before serving and add a little more sugar or vinegar if needed for a balanced sweet-and-sour flavour. Turn gently by shaking the pan and serve hot with the sauce.

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