Fig onion jam is a really delicious condiment. It is essentially caramelized onion cooked slowly with lots of sugar. The reduction of the sugar and onions creates a thick jam.
What do I eat with Onion Fig Jam?
A good onion jam is a simple but tasty way to dress up a sandwich, burger, wrap, or pizza. You can also add it as a condiment on a lovely cheeseboard. You can also wrap it up in delicious puff pastry and bake for a quick appetizer. Fig onion jam is my way of adding natural sweetness and richness to this condiment. Many make onion jam with bacon, but this is a nice vegetarian version that has lots of natural sweetness thanks to the figs. The figs have a natural caramel flavor too, which sets a delicious flavor foundation to the fig onion jam.
You can whip up a batch of this fig onion jam and keep in your refrigerator for a few weeks, adding loads of flavor with each spoonful.
How to Make Caramelized Onions
First off, you need at least 1 tbsp of oil for every cup of onion. Not having enough oil will cause your onions to burn instead of caramelize.
Second, you need time. I remember watching cooking shows and thinking that caramelizing onions was a quick task. But in reality, caramelizing onions takes a long time. One way to speed up the reduction of the onions is to cover the pan with a lid. That helps to trap the heat and steam inside, accelerating the breakdown and browning of the onions.
Third, you need to add some flavorful liquid and sugar. You can de-glaze the pan with whiskey for a smokey onion fig jam or you can just use water for a cleaner flavor.
Fourth, sugar is a must because you are making a jam. It helps the consistency of the onions by thickening it up. Moreover, it imparts a delicious sweet flavor, which complements the natural sweetness of the onions. Because I used figs in this recipe, I did not need to add any other source of sugar. If you do decide to use sugar in your onion jam, brown sugar is best because it has a caramel-like rich flavor, but white sugar is fine too.
Here are some dishes that you can serve with this delicious condiment:
Fig Onion Jam
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried golden figs diced
- 2 tsp sherry wine
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Then turn the temperature to medium low. Drizzle oil in the pan and add onions. Move them around the oil. Cook onions on medium low for 10-15 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- When onions are softened and golden brown, add in diced figs, sherry wine, water, and salt. Allow to simmer another 5 minutes until figs have softened. Then remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve or store in a dry clean container with a lid.
Blended Bacon Burger with Fig Onion Jam
