Momofuku Roasted Onions

5.7.10

My hair smelled like onions...from the last post

As I was trying out some recipes from the cookbook, the action had begun. This roasted onion recipe had caught my attention. It can go with anything-you name it. The idea of adding this onion to my food kept coming. I would add it to this, and that. I will be sure to share in the next posts.This roasted onion is also one of the ingredients of roasted rice cakes which I'm going to post next. If you have had Korean food, you would be familiar with rice cakes. If not, you will from the next post.

A good thing is you can make these onions ahead of time and can keep them for a week or more in the fridge. How many onions did I have to slice and cook to make my hair and house smell like it, you ask? 6 large onions! My eyes were teary and the pungent smell when they were fresh..unpleasant..I know it wasn't that many but I personally don't like fresh onions so this part of the task was a killer for me- bummer! Coincidentally, cooked onions are my favorite. How weird. Who would have thought cooking onions would take a lot of work!?

Momofuku Roasted Onions

Ingredients:

6 onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or other neutral oil (this grapdeseed oil is amazing; it provides smokey aroma flavor)

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (David Chang dislikes table salt)

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1-1 1/2 mins, until it's very very hot but not smoking. My first time using the grapeseed oil! It's kinda pricey but it provides the unexpected smokey flavor.
• Add onions to the pan. They will pile up high. Let them cook undisturbed for 2-3 mins. Carefully toss the onions and season them with salt. You will have to cook, flip, and turn the onions for the next 50 mins or so. Chang gave us guidelines to be able to tell what we're looking for

• For the next 15 mins, the onions at the bottom will slowly cook and the weight from the top will help this to happen. Don't press down on the onions with a spatula. Turn the whole pile every 3-4 mins. Remember to take advantage of the weight from the onions above.

• After the onions have significantly reduced and become soft, time to turn the heat to medium-low. At this stage, you will have to turn the pile every 10 mins to prevent sticking to the pan and being burnt. It smelled so GOOD. That's the smell I was talking about -- roasted onion smell.

• After 50 mins or so, according to David Chang, they will have a definite sweetness, a deep roasted flavor, and a texture that's just this side of mushy.

Thank you David Chang for a great recipe and food aroma in the house. Now, it's time to think what to make for a mother's day this weekend. Happy Friday!