A braised onion is essentially an onion that has been cooked through the method of braising. Believed to be a French invention, braising is also called pot roasting. It is basically a slow cooking method that effectively combines and uses both moist and dry heat to cook meats, vegetables, eggs, rice, etc. Almost all food items can be, and are, cooked with braising. To begin with, however, the method was reserved only for tough meats that would not cook properly through any other technique.
Onions have been braised as a side dish and ingredient for centuries. Consumption of onions is greatly encouraged as the vegetable is believed to be packed with essential nutrient. Many people, however, do not like the taste and smell of onion and therefore do not include it in their diet charts. In such cases, braising is a very good solution. Not only does the method add flavor to the vegetable, it also takes away the naturally pungent smell and replaces it with a slightly sharp but pleasant aroma.
While onions that have been braised are mostly served as a side dish, these also make a great ingredient for salads and other recipes as these greatly enhance the flavor of foods. There are various popular dishes around the world in which braised onions are an essential ingredient.
How to Braise Onion?
Braised onions are very easy to prepare and the total time taken to make the dish is about 40 minutes. As onions are not very hard, braising them does not take very long. When braised alone and in the basic way, these onions make a good side dish. The vegetable is braised much like other vegetables. The onions are first lightly cooked in water and then peeled and chopped as required. The onions are then sautéed in butter, mixed with other ingredients, covered and cooked for a bit. The contents are then transferred to an oven where the onions cook slowly in their own juice. The slow cooking, in case of onions, can also be done on the stove by transferring the lightly cooked contents to the larger pan, covering the pan and placing it over low heat.
When cooked with other ingredients, the onions are braised in the same way but addition of more ingredients can alter the cooking time, especially, if hard meats are added as these can take up-to 6 hours to cook.
Braised Onion Recipe Trivia
While experts do not encourage adding additional liquid as the food should ideally cook in its own liquid, vegetables like onion sometimes do not produce enough liquid on their own. In this case, broth is added when making braised onion.