Glazed onions au soleil levant

In Alexandria, Egypt, relatives of Claudia Roden served all kinds of pickled vegetables as appetizers. I'd have loved to be a guest in the fifties between cool white-washed walls at sunset. Between Françoise Bernard for French cooking and Claudia Roden for Jewish cooking, I borrow from both, and then follow Roden's timing - 15 minutes extra to 30 minutes of cooking. I had a few shallots, although far better it would be to prepare smaller white onions.

Glazed onions au soleil levant

Small white onions or shallots

Roden:
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice

Françoise Bernard:
50 cl water
40 g butter
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Combine olive oil and sugar, heat, add the onions, braise them over low-moderate heat with the lid on for 30 minutes. I added a knob of butter and a splash of water.

Remove the lid, briefly turn up the heat, then lower, add the lemon juice, and let the sauce reduce to a thicker brown mixture in 15 minutes.

Taste, and serve hot or cold. If unused as appetizer, use in an omelet!

Picture: onions au soleil levant.