Onion jam, or in England, onion marmalade, goes well with many types of meat, and is also delectable with cream cheese on crackers. This fast version draws on apricot preserves for both sweetness and jammy consistency. Vinegar and two types of French mustard add sweetness and a zing you’ll love.
I find it particularly tasty with both pork or chicken. Here I’m using it with roasted pork tenderloin. Summer grilling season just around the corner, and the onion jam is an outstanding go-along with grilled meats.
Quick Onion Jam with Apricot Preserves and French Mustard
- 2 large yellow onions, (julienned (cut in strips))
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/8 cup white wine vinegar ((can substitute champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar))
- 2 Tbsp. apricot preserves
- 1.5 tsp. fresh thyme, leaves stripped off of stems ((can substitute 1/2 tsp. dried thyme OR 1/4 tsp. ground thyme))
- 1 Tbsp. whole grain French mustard
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- Sea salt, (to taste)
- 3 pinches white pepper, (or to taste.)
- Cook onions in olive oil over medium high heat, stirring regularly, until lightly caramelized. This will take 10 – 15 minutes, depending on how dark you want your onions. I go for some browning, but not heavily caramelized — but you can do this to your taste.
- Lightly salt the onions. You will taste and adjust seasoning later.
-
Add vinegar and chicken broth. Cook for about 3 minutes or until liquid reduces.
-
Reduce heat to medium. Add apricot preserves, whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, thyme, and white pepper. Cook until thickened, about another 3 minutes.
-
Taste. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as you like.
-
I like the onion jam served warm with roasted pork or chicken, but you could use it cold on a sandwich. The jam will keep for a week in the refrigerator.
You can substitute any fruit jams that tickle your fancy! Pear preserves would be outstanding.
This makes approximately 1.5 cups of onion jam. It obviously depends both on the size of your onions and how deeply you caramelize the onions — the longer they cook, the more the volume will shrink.
If you choose to double the recipe, it will take longer to caramelize the onions. Moving to a larger skillet or large Dutch oven will make the process a little faster for double the onions.
