Slow cooker onion base

[Bolas De Fraile]

I have just put some on and the kitchen smells like a hotdog stall.

Fill your slow cooker with sliced onions, a bit of butter and cook for 10 hours.
The base freezes well. The possibilities for using the onion goop are endless, but my first port of call is french onion soup.
Has anyone tried this method?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

No, but I had just read about it and want to try it.

 

[PattY1]

I have just put some on and the kitchen smells like a hotdog stall.

Fill your slow cooker with sliced onions, a bit of butter and cook for 10 hours.
The base freezes well. The possibilities for using the onion goop are endless, but my first port of call is french onion soup.
Has anyone tried this method?

Nope, I have never heard about it. So do tell.... More details please.

 

[DMerry]

What kind of onions did you use? Will it work with white or red ones?

 

[Aunt Bea]

It is good smeared on a burger or a bacon sandwich as a condiment, sort of an onion jam.

 

[kezlehan]

I am intrigued. I now want to buy a slow cooker even more!

 

[SharonT]

I've used this method for making a large number of servings of:

Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Onion Marmalade
Celebration Luncheon

For the Balsamic Onion Marmalade:

4 to 6 onions
1 stick unsalted butter
1 can chicken broth
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup apple juice

Cut onions in half (end to end), cut off stem and root ends, peel and slice thin. Cook in crock pot on High for 8 hours.


For the Marinade:

1/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons port
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Combine ingredients for marinade (enough for 2 [3/4-lb. to 1 lb.] pork tenderloins) and marinate tenderloins overnight or at least 4 hours. Place pork in shallow roasting pan along with the marinade Bake uncovered about 35 to 45 minutes or until thermometer registers 150º . When the tenderloins start to brown on top (about 20 to 30 minutes), turn them over.

Let pork rest about 10 to 15 minutes, then slice thinly on the diagonal and serve with the warm onion marmalade on top.

 

[Timothy]

That sounds really good, SharonT.

The only thing I would add is at least two glasses of Port in the cook as well! It always seems to help me in the kitchen!

 

[SharonT]

Oh, yeah - how does it go? 'I ALWAYS cook with wine... and sometimes I put it in the food.'

 

[CWS4322]

Bolas--sounds great--how many onions do you usually put in?

 

[babetoo]

yes, that is how i make french onion soup. also good on a burger. lots of uses.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Bolas--sounds great--how many onions do you usually put in?

I uses as many finely sliced red onions as I can fit in the pot.I have a large Rice/Slow cooker. Sometimes when the onions are very juicy after slow cooking there is a lot of liquid so I put it on rice cooker mode to boil it off. I only add a nut of butter so the base is flexible. Tonight we are having cheats Pissaladiere so I just put a big blob of base into a frying pan add a few tbl spoons of concasse de tomate, black pepper and thyme, fry till it smells right then cool for spreading on the pastry.

I also use the goop to make potato pizza.

 

[buckytom]

what colour does it end up being, bolas? does it get carmelized?

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Not really Tom mate thats why I call it goop or onion base, to carmelize the goop just fry quickly in a little butter.
I also make onion bread and proja with it. When you next make Corn bread (proja) mix in some of the goop and feta cheese.

 

[spork]

I'm intrigued by this, too. I sweat onions down to a paste in a lot of dishes, so this'd be a real time-saver. 8-10 hours, maybe uncovering the slow-cooker lid at the end to evaporate out excess moisture? Do the onion slices hold their shape, or do they break apart into one big gelatinous goop?

 

[Zhizara]

This idea might just be the push I need to get a slow cooker. I've been thinking about it for quite a while, but felt no real need for one, but the thought of French onion soup is starting to create that need.

It may also create the need for a storage cabinet too, but I think that is going to be inevitable eventually anyway.

 

[Aunt Bea]

This idea might just be the push I need to get a slow cooker. I've been thinking about it for quite a while, but felt no real need for one, but the thought of French onion soup is starting to create that need.

It may also create the need for a storage cabinet too, but I think that is going to be inevitable eventually anyway.

I do mine in a frying pan on the stove top or in the oven.

I use the oven method when I am making other low and slow type dishes to fill up the oven.

Like you storage space limits me to only a couple of electrical items in my kitchen.

I suppose we could use the crockpots for cookie jars when they are not in use.

 

[taxlady]

I do mine in a frying pan on the stove top or in the oven.

I use the oven method when I am making other low and slow type dishes to fill up the oven.

Like you storage space limits me to only a couple of electrical items in my kitchen.

I suppose we could use the crockpots for cookie jars when they are not in use.

Okay, how do you do it in the oven?

I don't even have a tiny kitchen (badly laid out, but not tiny) and I don't have room for anything more. I just bought a gravy separator and I'm looking for a place for that.

 

[lyndalou]

I also have a badly laid out kitchen with no place for extra storage. One reason I don't have a stand mixer. I do have a crock port and use it a lot. I'm definitely going to make the onion base as soon as i can get to the supermarket for some onions.

 

[Timothy]

I'm definitely going to make the onion base as soon as i can get to the supermarket for some onions.

Me too! I love French Onion Soup!

If food is going to kill me, I'd prefer to drown in it!