Tricia, a dinner guest of ours Sunday night, asked for the recipe to an onion marmalade we served. Some people ate it with the wild herb bread, others with the roast goat. My grandma actually made the marmalade, a sweet carmelized spread that’s great on meat, toast, fresh bread or in a sandwich.
So here ‘tis, everyone!
Balsamic Onion Marmalade
Makes 2-3 cups
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
- 4 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, some salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions appear dry, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar and lower heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour, until onions are soft and dry.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Marmalade will keep several weeks in the refrigerator, or preserve in jars.
Source: Tom Colicchio, “Witchcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal”
That sexy thing, for those wondering, is a mojito mixed from foraged prickly pear simple syrup, white rum, lime and backyard-grown mint. ‘Twas one of several offerings at EBHH’s first-ever wild/foraged dinners.
I’m super grateful to everyone who showed up. Got to see my old journo teacher, some former and future co-workers, a bunch of friends and family and the magic of a foraged feast coming together.
That’s my dad knifing cuts of freshly killed goat liver into the haggis stuffing. My dad really helped me pull this off. He planned a unique all-foraged/wild menu that showcased a bunch of local herbs, meats and veggies we collected in recent weeks.
A sample of what we ate:
- Elk/acorn haggis
- Provincial wild sage flat bread
- Wild almond spinach salad with garden-fresh tomatoes
- Foraged prickly pear mojitos
- Foraged pomegranate martinis
- Backyard poached pears in creme anglaise and pom sauce
- Garden-grown spicy Peruvian potatoes
- Fresh foraged figs
- Foraged lemon curd crepes with gramma’s lavendar-infused sugar
- Wine-marinated, slow-smoked young goat
The amount of time we put into this dinner amounts to way more than the 10 or so hours we put in today, by the way. For weeks my mom and I have been hiking to collect wild sage, rosemary, acorns and other things. But seeing all the manpower my dad, siblings and friends offered on the day of the event really adds to my appreciation. I couldn’t have done this without them.
I had a lot of fun. Can’t wait for the next event! I’ll post some recipes for some of the night’s dishes on this blog once I catch up on sleep. Thanks for reading … and happy foraging!
- Jenn :)
More photos …
