LEATHER STORRS' ROASTED CIPOLLINI ONIONS WITH SHERRY CARAMEL

LEATHER STORRS' ROASTED CIPOLLINI ONIONS WITH SHERRY CARAMEL image

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

Sherry Caramel:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 cups sherry vinegar
Onions:
40 cipollini onions
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 rosemary sprig (5 to 6 inches), broken in half, plus more for garnish
6 sprigs thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Move oven rack to upper position, allowing room for onion roasting pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Steps:

To make sherry caramel: In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the sugar and water. Heat on medium, periodically swirling the pan to distribute the heat (do not stir). Cook until caramel is the color of cola, then add the vinegar. Stand back; it will hiss and spatter. Simmer the caramel for 8 minutes, stirring to dissolve any lumps that may have formed, and remove from the heat. Transfer to a container or squirt bottle when it has cooled slightly. This recipe makes more than enough for the onions, but it is difficult to make a smaller batch. To make onions: Put the onions in a large pot of salted, boiling water. After 1 minute (the water doesn't need to return to a boil), drain and transfer them to a sheet pan to cool. When you can handle them, peel off the skins and trim any roots and papery tops. It's best to roast the onions in the vessel they'll be served in (such as a cast-iron Le Creuset gratin pan or a nice ceramic baking dish), but failing that, use a heavy dish that will accommodate the onions in a single layer. Toss the onions, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Spread them in the pan and roast at 400 degrees until golden brown and tender (30 to 50 minutes). Remove the herb sprigs from the pan and add about 1 cup of the caramel to the onions. Return the pan to the oven and raise the temperature to 450 degrees. After 5 minutes remove the pan from the oven, and shake to coat the onions with the melted caramel. Repeat the shaking at 5-minute intervals two more times, until the onions are evenly coated with the caramel. Add the parsley, toss again, adjust the seasonings, garnish with rosemary and serve.