Barb from Pannifer's food and Such have tagged me to join the Swirling Notions Braising Chain. I have many fond memories of braised dishes with meat - braised brisket, braised topside, braised leg of lamb even braised meatballs so it was a tough decision which recipe to choose. I opted for a braised vegetable dish, because of my family's no-meat notions. I came up with this"Braised onion with Thyme and cheese shortbread recipe" for the Swirling Notion Braising Chain.

Oh was I pleased! - every mouthful was a perfect balance of sweet, sour, bitter and salty and the texture was just heavenly. So if onions are not your favorite veg, please try this, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Braised Onions with a Red wine Reduction and Thyme and Cheese Shortbread

Ingredients

12 small onions(pickling onions)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 Tbs olive oils
1 tsp brown sugar
125 ml vegetable of chicken stock
250ml red wine (it can be more of needed)
Sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary

Method

1. Heat some oil in a cast iron skillet.
2. Add garlic and onions and brown slightly.
3. Add brown sugar to caramelize onions.
4. Add stock, wine and herbs and lower heat.
5. Put the lid on and let it braise until onions are soft, but not mushy.
6.Turn the onions from time to time to make sure they all have a nice brown/red color. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add more wine.
7. In the meantime make the shortbread.


Thyme and cheese shortbread

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Ingredients

125ml All purpose flour
125ml grated strong cheddar cheese
1 Tbs grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbs soft butter
a pinch of curry powder
fresh thyme, taken off stalk

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and flatten in a pan.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown
Cut in wedges or break into big chunks if too brittle.

Serve with braised onions and some of the red wine reduction

If you care to join, log onto: http://swirlingnotions.com/swirling-notions-braisy-chain/