Tuscan Onion Confit

Summary: This recipe, by Merrill Stubbs of Food52, is a spectacular chutney-like cipollini fiesta. Great on your Thanksgiving or winter holiday tables, or really just anytime.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 12 ounces small cipollini onions, or one 10-ounce bag of frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup medium sherry
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup raisins
• Salt

Instructions:

Using a small frying pan, lightly toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan back and forth to keep them from scorching. Set aside.

Peel the onions using a sharp paring knife to strip away the skins.

Put the olive oil in large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook gently (without browning) for about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until mostly reduced. Add 3/4 cup water, vinegar, sugar, raisins, pine nuts and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Simmer the mixture over the lowest heat possible for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. You may need to add more water from time to time if the mixture gets too thick and gooey or starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. It is finished when everything has caramelized well, and the flavors have blended together (you can take it as far as you’d like—I for one prefer a deep amber color).

Cool and serve at room temperature. Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.