Caramelised Onions

Caramelized onions seem like a little bit of kitchen alchemy. In goes something with a sharp, biting flavor and out comes something sweet and mellow. Typically, caramelizing onions requires a lot of stirring on the stovetop under a watchful eye. But the Instant Pot makes most of the cooking hands-off. There’s another helper here, too: The baking soda in this recipe increases the pH of the onions and allows them to brown more readily. Serve these onions as a side dish with steak or chicken, place them atop a hamburger, or use them to turn a “baked” potato (see here) into something out of the ordinary.

General

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Active time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1½ cups
Leftovers: Caramelized Onions will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week. To reheat, place them in a small pot, add a splash of water, and warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 medium white or yellow onions (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced. You can also get sliced onions if you are lucky to find them at a reasonable price.
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Press Sauté and use the Sauté or Adjust button to select the middle temperature (“Normal”). Place the butter in the inner pot, wait about 1 minute for the butter to melt, then add the onions, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook with the lid off, stirring occasionally until the onions soften slightly and begin to release liquid, about 5 minutes.
2. Close and lock the lid. Make sure the valve is set to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Manual or Pressure Cook and use the Pressure or Pressure Level button to select High Pressure. Use the – or + button to set the time to 40 minutes.
3. When the cooking cycle ends, carefully use a wooden spoon to release the pressure by turning the pressure-release valve to Venting. (The pressure is released when the small metal float valve next to the pressure-release valve sinks back into the lid and the lid is no longer locked.)
4. Press Cancel, then press Sauté and use the Sauté or Adjust button to select the middle temperature (“Normal”). Cook with the lid off, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the remaining liquid is thick, about 10 minutes. As more liquid evaporates, you will need to stir more frequently to avoid burning the onions. (No need to be too fastidious, though—a little charred onion is good for flavor.)
5. Press Cancel. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot.