May 20, 2006
Caramelized Onion Crostini
Beth Who Will Be Obeyed, facilitator emeritus of the Recipe Carnival, expressed great interest in my recently posted, attention intensive, caramalized onion recipe. When I scanned thru the slow cooker recipe collection looking for something to suit this week's Carnival of the Crockpot, this one jumped out at me. She can just wander into the kitchen every hour of an otherwise busy afternoon and still enjoy the same sort of luxury come serving time.
3 lbs onions -- peeled and thinly
- sliced on the vertical
- (about 6 medium onions)
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns*
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 French baguette loaf, cut in 16 slices
2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyè�re cheese
*For a sharper pepper note, coarsely grind black pepper, to taste, after the onions have finished cooking.
To make crostini: Preheat broiler. Brush baguette slices on both sides with olive oil and toast under broiler, turning once.
1. In slow cooker stoneware, combine onions and butter. Stir well to coat onions thoroughly. Cover and cook on High for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until onions are softened.
2. Add sugar, salt and peppercorns and stir well. Place two clean tea towels, each folded in half (so you will have four layers) over top of stoneware, to absorb the moisture. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours, stirring two or three times to ensure that the onions are browning evenly, replacing towels each time.Turn off slow cooker. Stir in thyme and balsamic vinegar.
3. Preheat broiler. Spread onions evenly over crostini and sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Place on baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Posted by triticale at May 20, 2006 08:33 AM | TrackBack