Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip with Potato Chips and Crudite
Serves 8
If you love yet hate that packaged onion soup mix dip, this is the version for you. It is a richer, deeper-flavored, cleaner-ingredient excuse for a potato-chip-dipping marathon. Or smear it over Herb Flatbreads for a classier affair. For a sip with your dip, try Grapefruit Thyme Cocktail. The dip can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 bacon strips, chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds yellow onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 small shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- For serving: potato chips, celery, carrots, or other raw vegetables
DIRECTIONS
- In a small skillet, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered out. Drain bacon, reserving the fat in the pan.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and salt. Cook onions over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and deep golden in color, about 1 hour. Add water if needed. Add the vinegar in the last minute of cooking. Cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onions, and bacon.
- Add vegetable oil to the skillet with bacon fat. Reheat on medium-high until the oil shimmers. Add the shallots, lower the heat, and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain, and garnish dip with fried shallots.
cook's note
Fried Alliums: You don’t really need fried shallots on top of this dip, or fried leeks on top of the Greek salad. But you want them! Take a cue from the onion rings (see page 134), and a simple recipe ascends to a whole new level. Frying little onion bits until golden and crunchy will definitely take you there.
pantry
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