Recipe by Melie’s Kitchen
Caramelised Onion Dip:
3 medium brown onions, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ Tbsp each brown sugar & Balsamic vinegar
250g full-fat sour cream
50g good quality parmesan, finely grated with a microplane (about ¾ heaped cup grated)
1 tsp dried onion powder granules
Finely chopped chives, to garnish
Smoky Pine Nut Oil (optional):
2 fat cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp pine nuts
½ tsp each chilli flakes & smoked paprika
Method:
Heat 2 Tbsp of butter in a large fry-pan on medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and 1 tsp salt. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is caramelised and translucent. Add garlic, brown sugar and balsamic and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, stirring, until sticky and caramelised. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the onion mixture for the topping. Set aside in the fridge to cool.
Once cool, add the sour cream, Parmesan and onion powder. Season with about 10 grinds of freshly cracked black pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Stir everything together, until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To make the smoky pine nut oil, thinly slice the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a small pot on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts (they should sizzle when they hit the oil) and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden brown and pine nuts are toasted. Immediately remove the pot from heat and stir through the chilli and smoked paprika. Season with salt, then transfer to a
small bowl. Stir the reserved 2 Tbsp of caramelised onion mixture through the pine nut oil. Set aside to cool.
Serve the caramelised onion dip on a serving plate topped with the smoky pine nut oil (if using). Garnish with chives.
