Today, we are showing you something we made for last Christmas: confit d’oignon! The confit d’oignon, known as "onion confit" in English, is very similar to onion marmalade or onion chutney. 

The two jars on the left are the onion confit we made last year with Roscoff pink onions and balsamic vinegar. The larger jar on the right is a pickled Roscoff pink onion.

Every year, we spend Christmas at the French side of our family's home in Brittany. Last year, we bought a 5kg bag of pink onions from Roscoff at a market in Morlaix. We love using these onions in soups or making onion koji. I decided to create confit d'oignon to enhance our Christmas dinner. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s not only delicious, but we also had plenty of the necessary ingredients: onions, sugar, red wine, and vinegar.

The starter for Christmas dinner in France 2024 was a slice of foie gras served with onion confit.

The confit d'oignon pairs exceptionally well with cheese and foie gras, as well as with roast lamb, which is usually our main course. Its sweet-and-sour savoury flavour beautifully balances the richness of the dishes. 

We also made a delicious Christmas leftover sandwich! I spread some onion confit and Dijon mustard on a baguette, then filled it with roast lamb and salad. Superb! 

Recipe (fills about 500ml jar)

Onion confit, filling a 500ml Kilner clip-top jar.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg sliced or finely chopped onions. We used a variety of onions. Last year, it was Roscoff pink onions, but this year it was large white onions from Tesco.
  • 300ml red wine
  • 130g sugar
  • 70ml balsamic vinegar or 120ml cider vinegar
  • 20g butter or olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: a small bunch of Thyme and a Bay Leaf

Tools

Note: I do not recommend using a cast-iron pan because the vinegar mixture can leach iron, resulting in a metallic taste.

Instructions: 

Don’t rush, think: Low and Slow, low heat, and slow cooking.

After several minutes of cooking, the onion released more juice, so we decided to put the lid on for a few minutes to speed up the process.

You can see the progress of the cooking between photos 1 and 4. In total, it took exactly 1 hour to caramelise.

  1. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced onion and begin cooking. Slowly cook the onion until it caramelises, which took me exactly 1 hour. If necessary, reduce the heat to prevent burning. 

Optional: Sprinkle some salt on the onions to draw out moisture, which will shorten the cooking time.

We picked some thyme and bay leaves from our garden to add to the onion confit.

We had to change the pan because we were using a cast-iron skillet. It was great to cook onions, but it was not suitable for acidic ingredients.

  1. Next, add the remaining ingredients: red wine, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Simmer the mixture at low heat for about 50 minutes to reduce the liquid. During this time, I was able to have lunch at my kitchen table and return to check and stir occasionally.
  1. Finally, season with salt to taste, if needed.

Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks. If you have properly sterilised the jars using a hot-water bath method, they can last longer in a cool, dark cupboard.

Dishes that pair well with onion confit

Pâté or Parfait

As mentioned earlier, we enjoyed some foie gras last Christmas, but it doesn’t have to be. Chicken liver parfait or pork pâté would work well, too.

Sausage roll and scotch egg

We typically serve sausage rolls with some chilli jam, but our favourite accompaniment is onion confit.

Savoury tart

You can spread the onion confit on the base of a pastry case for a tart or add small spoonfuls throughout to introduce a sweet and tangy flavour.

Cheese

We love pairing our homemade onion confit with cheese! It complements almost any cheese, but my favourites are Comté, blue cheese, and goat cheese.

Sandwich

A sandwich made with a generous amount of onion confit becomes even more special and delicious!

Closing words

Making this condiment takes a bit of time, but it's a great addition to have in your fridge! It also makes for a thoughtful homemade gift or a lovely stocking filler when packaged with a pretty label and ribbon. We suggest preparing it on your day off, when you can enjoy a relaxing day in the kitchen. We are hoping this will make your Christmas meal even more special.

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