Southern Living (May 2013)
Truth be told, it's probably been years since we had mashed potatoes.
Not only are they on the unhealthy, carb-heavy end of the spectrum, we just don't like them that much. Oh sure, we like butter, salt and gravy just as much as the next guys. But the actual potatoes? Eh.
So when we saw this recipe in Southern Living, we were intrigued -- and skeptical. Could an onion puree really be an improvement on mashed potatoes?
At first, we assumed this was meant as a healthier alternative to potatoes, but that isn't the intention here. The puree has plenty of fat to give it flavor -- there's three tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil. Thyme is also in the mix for additional flavor.
Turns out, it takes a whole lot of onions to get four small servings of Onion Puree. The recipe calls for six large onions. Slicing them, we thought that surely this would make a huge bowl of pureed onions. But then they cook down and down and down, into a relatively small side dish.
But a side dish we loved. The finished dish is buttery and delicious, with a wonderful, rich flavor that's so much deeper and more interesting than plain ol' mashed potatoes. Since sweet onions are used, the onion flavor is not overpowering. In fact it's very smooth, balanced by the herbs and fat.
Want to mix up your mashed potato routine?
Ditch the taters and reach for the onions.
Onion Puree
Southern Living (May 2013)
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(This photo: Hector Sanchez for Southern Living)
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 fresh thyme sprigs3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Preparation
Tie thyme sprigs with kitchen string. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil; onions, and thyme sprigs, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with salt, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour or until onions are tender. Discard thyme sprigs. Drain onions, using a fine wire-mesh strainer and reserving liquid for another use. Process onions in a food processor 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth. Serve immediately.