Caramelized onions are like the new bacon - they make everything better. Whip up a batch and try not to slather them on everything. Here, we slathered some crostini with barbecue sauce, then layered the delicious onions on top.
Ingredients
For root beer barbecue sauce:
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 cups root beer
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup own sugar
2 Tbsp. molasses
For crostini:
3 onions, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups beef stock
1 loaf french ead, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
root beer barbecue sauce
Directions
Begin by preparing the barbecue sauce. Heat the canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook 30 more seconds. Add the paprika and stir well. Stir in the root beer and cook until it reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Add ketchup, own sugar and molasses and stir well. Turn the temperature to low and cook for about 30 minutes until it reduces. Remove from heat and set aside.
Set the oven to oil. Place the ead on a baking sheet and oil 1 to 2 minutes until crisp. Set aside. Place the butter and olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Once the butter melts, add the onions to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until they soften. Add in 1 cup of beef stock, then cover. After five to ten minutes, check on the onions. Give them a stir then add another cup of stock. Cover again and let sit for five to ten minutes until the stock has absorbed. Add in the final cup of stock and cover. In ten minutes, check the onions. If the sauce has been absorbed, the onions will be finished. Remove from heat and set aside.
Put a generous swipe of barbecue sauce onto each crostini. Top with a heaping spoonful of caramelized onions.
Serves 6 to 8
--Kim Cooper--
