Posted by ehme on August 22nd, 2008 in Appetizers

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Months ago I went to a birthday party at Novare Res, the new beer garden in Portland.  They have fantastic little cheese and meat plates that I am fairly certain come from The Cheese Iron (AKA: Best Place in the World).  They also have a ham and cheese sandwich that literally stays in your brain for days.  It is the only sandwich they serve, and that is quite all right with me because it is the best sandwich I have ever had.  So I went home and tried to make the onion jam that came on the sandwich.  Onion jam probably sounds icky, but with some Harriet’s Mustard and some ham….drooool.

• 3 lg. spanish or sweet onions
• 2 heads of garlic, roasted
• 2 T. sugar (I started with 2 1/2 but it made it too sweet)
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar

Squish the roasted garlic out into a bowl.  Peel and cut the onions.  I cut mine in half and then make 1/4 in slices.  Coat a skillet with cooking spray, heat over med-high heat.  Turn heat down to medium add onions and cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.

Add sugars and recover.  Cook until golden, about 30 mins.  Stir occasionally.   Add 1/4 c. water and stir.  Cover until dark brown, about 20 mins.  Add vinegar, garlic, and another scant 1/4 c. water.  Cook until liquid is absorbed.  Transfer to a bowl and cool.  Will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks.

This is excellent on meats, or you can take a block of cream cheese and dump some of this on it and serve it with mustard and crackers.  It is also fantastic in salad dressings.  Weird, I know.  Yum.

[tags] onion jam, jams, onions]