White wine, sour cream and caramelized onions do indeed make a fabulous dip. They also make a delicious pasta sauce.
I recently joined a Facebook group that has resolved to cook and bake from the wonderful cookbook, The New Midwestern Table by Amy Thielen. Our noble leader asked Amy for permission that was kindly granted. The first recipe chosen was for a great fried onion dip that will have you throwing your dried onion dip packets away! The flavors are wonderful and, as I discovered on a recent evening, it also makes a fabulous sauce. If you'd like to join us, just follow the Facebook link and ask. You don't have to be a blogger to cook along, you just need to love Amy Theilen's new book.
This recipe has been adapted and expanded from Amy Thielen's Fried Onion Dip.
Ingredients, to serve four
For the dip/sauce:
3 tablespoons clarified butter (Follow these simple instructions here from the fabulous David Lebovitz – starting with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter)
1 onion (about 8 oz or 227g, unpeeled)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes and more, if necessary, at the end
Few good grinds black pepper
1 teaspoon honey
3 cloves garlic
1 small red hot chili pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml dry white wine
3/4 cup or about 185g sour cream
1/4 cup or a little less than 60g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
For the shrimp:
1 1/3 lbs or 600g shrimp or prawns, peeled
Olive oil
For serving:
16 oz or 500g dried pasta
Method
Mince your garlic and chili pepper and chives. Set aside. Cut into your onion 1/2-inch or 1cm thick rings.
Heat the clarified butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sprinkle them with the salt and pepper. Fry the onions on one side until they get brown and caramelized on the bottom then flip them carefully to the other side.
Add the garlic and chili pepper with the white wine and the honey.
Chop your onion mixture finely with a knife and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the sour cream and cream cheese together until they are completely mixed and smooth. Add in the chopped onion mixture and most of the chives (reserving some for garnish) and mix well. Check the seasoning and add a more salt, if necessary.
Transfer to a small serving bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to cook your prawns. Resist the urge to eat the lovely dip with a spoon.
When you are ready to eat, boil your pasta according to package instructions. While it is cooking, cut your shrimp into bite-sized pieces.
Pop them in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat and sauté until they are cooked and turn pinky orange. This takes just a few minutes.
Enjoy!
