There is just something about onions. They have a little certain something. I love them. Grilled, roasted, raw – you name it, I’m down with it.
My earliest memories of caramelized onions are of my dad putting them on top of his fish and chips. My mom would start cooking them and by the time dad returned from the fish and chip shop they would be done. He would douse his fish in malt vinegar and then dump the onions on top. There was a fried egg involved too, if I recall. Must be a New Zealand thing.
Onions have been around much, much longer than my childhood memories. There are records of them being cultivated as far back as the Bronze Age around 5,000 BC and thought to have been brought to America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. What a history.
So it’s no surprise that I love caramelized onions. It’s amazing to think how a crunchy and pungent vegetable can end up so sweet, soft and rich. Onions just make everything better. You can make them the star of the show like in the toasts below or you can have them in supporting roll, like in the ground bacon burgers I made recently.
The great thing is you can whip these awesome little toasts up in no time and they are super inexpensive, especially when entertaining a crowd. They are more rustic looking and meant to be enjoyed informally. However, if you are looking for something a bit more fussy and gourmet looking (and there is nothing wrong with that), I would substitute the toasts with puff pastry rounds and I would probably pipe on the goat cheese and then top with the onions.
Either way, I hope you get a chance to indulge in this simple yet amazingly delicious treat very soon.
The cast of characters. I chose two different color onions.
I like variety. I like color. I like juxtaposition.
Add the butter into a saute pan and add the sliced onions.
You want to salt and pepper these guys up really well.
After they have softened a bit, you want to add your brown sugar.
This is where the sweet magic happens.
Done and done.
I just toasted the slices of bread on the grill. Slathered on some lovely goat cheese. I love goat cheese. Like really love it.
I then topped it off with my onions. Simple yet amazingly tasty.
These were seriously delicious. I think I’m going to try my puff pastry, piped cheese idea – that sounds like a plan. Enjoy!
much love!
jess
Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Toasts
Caramelized Onions
2 large red onions
2 large brown onions
4 tablespoons of butter
3 table spoons of brown sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Slice up both red and brown onions. Heat sauté pan to medium high heat, add butter. When butter is just melted, add all of the onions and cook for 10 minutes to soften but not brown. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For crustini, slice a baguette on the bias. Brush or drizzle a little bit of olive oil on each slice of bread. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, place on the grill or grill pan. Toast for 1 – 2 minutes each side or until grill marks are visible.
To assemble, spread the goat cheese on each toast and top with a dollop of the caramelized onions.
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