Sweet Onion Confit

Ingredients

• 1 cup rendered duck fat
• 3 pounds sweet onions such as Vidalia, Wadmalaw, Maui, or Walla Walla Sweet, peeled and sliced stem-to-root into 1/4 inch slices
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 2 whole allspice berries

Directions

In a large heavy saute pan or Dutch oven, melt the duck fat over medium heat. Add the onions and seasonings and stir carefully to coat the onions in the fat but not to break up the bay leaves. Make sure there are no pieces of onion skin or any yellowed or soft spots on the onions. If there are, remove them from the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally so they don't stick or brown, until the onions are translucent, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, sterilize a quart jar and lid by placing them in a simmering water bath and leaving them there until needed. When the onions have finished cooking, remove the herbs and spices and discard, then put the confit in the jar. Run a chopstick or tool designed for the purpose around the inside of the jar to release any air bubbles, then seal. The onions will keep several weeks. I put the confit out with hearty bread on the hors d'oeuvre table. Always use a clean utensil to remove the confit and be sure to leave a layer of fat on top of the onions as an extra seal.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: The New Southern Cookbook
Submitted By: Linda Wilson
lwilson@mail.heritage.com
Sweet Onion Confit