Make This Instant Onion Concentrate in an Instant Pot and Add It to Everything
I’ve been cooking in Instant Pot for some time now, and I’ve noticed a certain phenomenon when it comes to onions: if you don’t leave them thick, they almost always turn into soft, barely noticeable strands that dissolve. at first sight. This isn’t great if you want the vegetable to shine, but great if you want to give your dish an onion flavor.
I’m a big fan of onion gruel and the flavor it brings; it is basically a concentrate. I love it so much that I decided to make a large batch and then add it to soups, stews, pasta sauce and rice dishes when I felt I needed more onion flavor. Three onions make about eight ounces of the product, but you can increase it if you need more. To make Umami Caramelized Onion Concentrate, you will need:
- 3 onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- A pinch of sugar (optional)
- 1 glass of water or broth
Cut the onion into very thin slices using a mandolin or a sharp knife and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the Instant Pot. Press the Honeycomb button and adjust the heat to Low with the Adjust button. Add onion, season with salt and stir well. Let the onion caramelize , stirring occasionally, then add a pinch of sugar and stir again.
Let the onion cook for a couple more minutes, then remove the icing from the insert with water or stock, scraping off the bottom to remove any small burnt pieces. Close the Instant Pot and make sure the Drain Valve is set to Seal, then press Manual or Pressure Cooking and set the time up to 35 minutes using the + and – buttons. After the cooking time has elapsed, release the pressure by hand, allow the soft, barely shaped onion to cool slightly, then transfer it to small jars or an ice cube tray.
Store the concentrate in the refrigerator or – if using ice cube trays – in the freezer. Add the filling to dishes with a cube or spoon, instantly enhancing the onion flavor without shedding tears.