Braised Vidalia Onions with Chile, Lime, and Cilantro
By Kelly SongPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
40 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
To help keep the onion wedges intact, take care to avoid overtrimming the root end when peeling the onions. You can substitute other sweet onion varieties, such as Maui or Walla Walla, for the Vidalias.
Instructions
- Whisk water, fish sauce, sugar, and lime zest together in small bowl; set aside. In large bowl, toss onion wedges gently with 2 teaspoons oil and table salt.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange onion wedges in single layer in skillet, flat side down. Cook onions, without moving, until well browned on first side, 5 to 7 minutes, adjusting position of skillet as needed to encourage even browning.
- Off heat, using tongs and spatula, carefully flip onion wedges to second flat side. Pour water mixture over onions, then bring to simmer over medium-low heat. Cover skillet and cook until onions begin to soften and turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove lid; increase heat to medium-high; and continue to cook until sauce is reduced by about half and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Off heat, carefully transfer onions to serving platter. Add lime juice to sauce left in skillet and bring to simmer over medium-low heat. Add butter and cook, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sauce has consistency of thin gravy, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce over onions. Sprinkle with cilantro, chiles, and flake sea salt. Serve.
Time
40 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Vidalia onions, which are sweet onions regionally grown in Georgia, have a uniquely mild, floral flavor. As a result, they require little treatment to be delicious. Here, we cut the onions into petite wedges, which we tossed in oil and salt and arranged snugly in a large skillet. We seared the wedges, undisturbed, over medium-high heat to create a golden-brown crust. The charred sides highlighted the ridges of the onions and added a deep, smoky flavor to complement the sweetness. To further soften and flavor the onions, we flipped them and added a mixture of water, fish sauce, sugar, and lime zest to the skillet; we cooked everything with the lid on, letting the sauce soften and thoroughly flavor the onions. We lifted the lid to let the steam escape and the sauce thicken slightly and then removed and plated the wedges. We finished the remaining sauce with butter and more lime juice, which emulsified into a creamy, bright mixture to coat the onions. We sprinkled the onions with fresh cilantro, minced Thai chiles, and flake sea salt, which added pops of flavor complexity to the outer layers.
Before You Begin
To help keep the onion wedges intact, take care to avoid overtrimming the root end when peeling the onions. You can substitute other sweet onion varieties, such as Maui or Walla Walla, for the Vidalias.
Instructions
- Whisk water, fish sauce, sugar, and lime zest together in small bowl; set aside. In large bowl, toss onion wedges gently with 2 teaspoons oil and table salt.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange onion wedges in single layer in skillet, flat side down. Cook onions, without moving, until well browned on first side, 5 to 7 minutes, adjusting position of skillet as needed to encourage even browning.
- Off heat, using tongs and spatula, carefully flip onion wedges to second flat side. Pour water mixture over onions, then bring to simmer over medium-low heat. Cover skillet and cook until onions begin to soften and turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove lid; increase heat to medium-high; and continue to cook until sauce is reduced by about half and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Off heat, carefully transfer onions to serving platter. Add lime juice to sauce left in skillet and bring to simmer over medium-low heat. Add butter and cook, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sauce has consistency of thin gravy, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce over onions. Sprinkle with cilantro, chiles, and flake sea salt. Serve.
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