[Sca-cooks] Vidalia Onions

[Chris Stanifer]

--- "Mark.S Harris" <mark.s.harris at motorola.com>
wrote:
> But would that little amount of water have much
> effect?
> That's why I initially verified, that indeed, the
> pan in
> the oven was uncovered. That's a lot of oven and one
> small
> pan. It would seem to work better if the pan was
> covered.

If the pan is covered, you will likely end up steaming
the onion, rather than baking it.  In a covered pan,
you will not achieve the caramelization desired for a
nice, sweet, golden brown onion.


>
> Also, "The water will help to moderate the
> temperature of
> the oven, as well as provide humidity". Why not just
> turn
> down the temperature of the oven, some? Say, 250
> degrees
> instead of 300?

You could bake the onion at a lower temperature, but
it would, obviously, require a longer baking time, and
your onion is likely to fall apart before proper
caramelization occurs.  One of the best parts of this
recipe is the fact that the onion cooks nicely on the
outside, and stays nice and soft in the middle.  The
outer "husk", once caramelized, acts as a sort of
natural bowl to hold the softer, inner core.

You would be surprised to see how much difference a
little water in the bottom of the pan makes when
cooking things such as this.  It doesn't sound like a
lot of water, but it does the trick.  Besides, you are
not boiling the water on top of the stove.  It won't
evaporate as quickly in an oven, particulalry in a 300
F oven.  The water should just barely reach a good
simmer by the time the onion is done.

Balthazar of Blackmoor





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