Make Red Onion Jam for a Versatile Condiment

The mere thought of an onion jam may sound crazy to some, but it's a real thing, and it's delicious. If you've ever tasted fully caramelized onions before, you know they're incredibly sweet and flavorful. The thing is, when you drive enough moisture out of the onions to get them to caramelize, the onions turn into a thick paste when they cool. This is fine if the onions are going into a soup or sauce, but it makes them hard to use otherwise.

By adding some sugar and spices and making a jam, there's no need to drive out all the moisture, so you end up with a versatile condiment that can be used like ketchup or chutney. The best part is that it's super simple to make. Just slice some onions and throw them in a pan with the other ingredients and cook with a lid until the onions are tender. Then the jam gets reduced with the lid off until it reaches your desired consistency.

So what do you do with onion jam? Well, aside from the obvious things like spreading it on toast, it's fantastic in a grilled cheese sandwich or a hamburger. It's also a great way to add a sweet and colorful accent to bite-size canapés like these gruyere crostinis. I also like serving a side of this jam along with roast chicken, and it's fantastic atop a brined pork chop.