Slow Cooker Red Onion Relish Food

RED ONION CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Finely dice the red onions and chilli pepper. Grate the garlic.
• Heat up the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onions and chilli pepper for fifteen minutes on medium heat. Stir frequently so it doesn't stick or go brown.
• Add the garlic, salt, sugar and pepper. Cook for another five minutes.
• Add the balsamic vinegar and bring to the boil on a high heat. Stir well and consistently until the vinegar has evaporated.
• Turn off the stove and let the chutney sit and cool for another five minutes.

SWEET ONION RELISH

Steps:

• Saute the onions in a skillet over medium-low heat until translucent and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Deglaze the pan with both vinegars and the wine. Simmer on medium-low heat until all the liquid has been evaporated, about 15 minutes.

CARAMELISED ONION CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Peel and thinly slice onions - make sure they are evenly cut.
• Over a low heat, melt rapeseed/Canola oil and unsalted butter in your preserving pan/saucepan.
• Add onions and bay leaves and stir.
• Cover with lid and cook for 40 minutes until onions are soft but not brown.
• Stir in 4 tablespoons of sugar and cook for 15 minutes on a low heat, stirring from time to time.
• Remove the lid and take off the heat. Stir in the rest of the sugar along with the salt, chilli flakes and vinegars.
• Return the pan to a low heat and let the chutney mixture simmer for at least 1½ to 2 hours, stirring every now and then to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• The chutney is ready when the liquid content has reduced so that a spatula drawn through it will leave a trail for 30 seconds before filling in again.
• Ladle into sterilised jars and seal with screw top lids.
• Wipe the sealed jars with a warm damp cloth. Label when cold.
• Peel and thinly slice onions - make sure they are evenly cut.
• Add the onions and the bay leaves to your slow cooker and top with the butter and oil.
• Replace the slow cooker lid and cook on the low setting for 3 hours so your onions are soft and cooked through.
• Stir in the sugar, vinegars, salt and chilli flakes.
• Replace the slow cooker lid but this time prop it open a little with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook on High for 5 or 6 hours.
• Check after 5 hours and if it's not ready, replace the lid propped open by the wooden spoon and leave for another hour or so.
• The chutney is ready when the liquid content has reduced so that a spatula drawn through it will leave a trail for 30 seconds before filling in again.
• Ladle into sterilised jars and seal with screw top lids.
• Wipe the sealed jars with a warm damp cloth. Label when cold.

SWEET AND SPICY ONION RELISH

Steps:

• Peel the onions, cut in half and slice into 1-inch pieces. Add the onions and the vegetable oil to a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, and saute until soft. Stir in the black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic and brown sugar until incorporated. Add half of the root beer and let reduce until starting to get thick. Stir in the remaining root beer and continue to reduce until the liquid is almost completely evaporated.
• Serve on top of good quality, natural casing hot dogs with a good brown mustard and a little mayonnaise, to taste.

RED ONION DIP/RELISH

Steps:

• preheat oven to 350.
• mix all ingredients.
• put in small baking dish.
• bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
• increase oven temp to 420.
• bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
• I put this on top of baguette slices that I have lightly toasted in the oven with olive oil baste.

RED ONION MARMALADE

Steps:

• Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Tip in the onions and garlic and give them a good stir so they are glossed with butter. Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, chilli flakes if using and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated, they're really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelising. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Slow cooking is the secret of really soft and sticky onions, so don't rush this part.
• Pour in the wine, vinegar and port and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany colour and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. It's done when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pan clears a path that fills rapidly with syrupy juice. Leave the onions to cool in the pan, then scoop into sterilised jars and seal. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps in the fridge for up to 3 months.

RED ONION CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place the onions and sugar in a saucepan, cover and cook over medium heat until soft, about 10 mins. Pour in the red wine vinegar and red wine, then simmer uncovered until the liquid has reduced and the mixture is sticky, about 10 mins more. Add the grenadine syrup and mix well. Leave to cool, then transfer to a sterilised jar and seal.