Wifely Steps

I love the sizzling sounds onion rings make when they hit the hot pan. I love the aroma it gives while sauteing. Best of all, I love its uncomplicated sweetness. The simple, homey flavor of wilted, almost-caramelized onions is one of my favorite gustatory delights.

Caramelizing onions is easy. Get your oiled pan nice and hot, slide in the onions, keep stirring them from time to time till they’re golden brown. It takes at least ten minutes.

As delicious as caramelized onions are, I prefer my onion rings golden on the edges but still white in the middle. What? I said I liked them a little golden but still juicy and a little chewy-crunchy in the middle. Semi-caramelized? I guess so. Wilted and a little brown on the edges. Sort of like a dying leaf. But that doesn’t sound too appetizing.

After semi-caramelizing my onions, I take out about five rings and set them aside. These are to be eaten without any sauce, without any rice, just them and them alone. The fab five. My five almost-golden rings. I savor these five rings dramatically. Oh yes I do.

The rest of the wilted onions then are mixed with my viand of choice. This evening, it was canned sardines. While I’ve sworn off canned food for health reasons, I still cannot let go of canned sardines. And pork and beans. I love pork and beans. But onions don’t go well with it. Wait, we’re talking about sardines here. Focus!

Pour the sardines over rice and BOOM! Comfort food! Best eaten while wearing an oversized shirt and pajamas.

While sardines are very flavorful, the stars of this dish for me are the onion rings. The wilted, lightly tanned onion rings. They give the dish a sweetness that isn’t cloying but simply, heartily filling.

You want uncomplicated sweetness? Semi-caramelize some onion rings. The only complication could be your breath if you eat too much, but then you already knew that.