Onions are a bit of a problem for me. They are one of my reflex buys.
By which I mean, every time I go to the grocer, no matter what I am shopping for, I always buy a bag of onions. I also tend to do it with garlic. They’re both kitchen staples that I use all the time in so many ways. So I must always be about to run out, right?
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It’s a good theory. But if that were the case, I wouldn’t have 15 pounds of onions on the counter and 20 heads of garlic in my garlic drawer. Yes, I have a special drawer set aside for it.
All of which is to say, I sometimes need to come up with recipes that use lots of both.
In winter, I love to thinly slice numerous pounds of onions, dump them in a large, heavy pot with some of the garlic and a little butter, then let them slowly caramelize.
Once they are done, they are outstanding tossed with fresh pasta, a bit of Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
But it’s no longer winter. So I decided to come up with a grill-friendly way of using a whole mess of caramelized onions. My solution? A grilled white pizza topped with onions and garlic spiked with caraway seeds and golden raisins. I add roasted red peppers, pine nuts and crumbled feta for a kind of Middle Eastern take on grilled pizza.
CARAMELIZED ONION AND FETA GRILLED PIZZA
Start to finish: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
20-ounce ball purchased pizza crust
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
Olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Set the pizza crust, in the bag, on the counter to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 18 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the raisins, garlic and caraway seeds, then cook for another 3 minutes, or until the onions are significantly reduced and caramelized. Stir in the red peppers, then transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
When the onions are done, heat the grill to medium-high.
On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough out to a 14-inch round. Brush the top with oil, then transfer it to a platter to carry it to the grill. Have your remaining ingredients prepared, then bring everything to the grill.
Flip the dough onto the grill, oiled side down, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly browned and puffed. Reduce heat to medium-low, then brush the top of the dough with oil. Use tongs to flip the dough.
Spread the onion mixture evenly over the crust, then sprinkle it with pine nuts and feta. Cover the grill and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly browned and the feta is softened. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving: 680 calories; 300 calories from fat (44 percent of total calories); 34 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 30 mg cholesterol; 87 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 19 g sugar; 17 g protein; 1000 mg sodium.
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