Salt your onions

OK here's the thing--you gotta salt your onions, ANY onions, garlic included, when you begin cooking them. You gotta lubricate them. too, with alittle oil in the pan. Actually this applies also to when you're not actually HEATING them, but when you want to soften them and take the edge off--i.e. when starting to make a vinaigrette...In that case, you don't add the oil until later. Salt the onions, and let them sit for a few minutes, then add your acid, and let it steep a few more minutes before adding the oil and other flavors. If you are making an emulisified vinaigrette with egg yolk, the yolk would be added just before the oil.

Not to say you need so much salt as to be offensive, just enough to start bringing out the moisture from the onion. Be especially careful not to use too much salt when making caramelized onions...

One exception to this rule is when using shallots in a wine reduction(beurre blanc), add the wine directly to the cold sliced or minced shallots then turn on the heat to reduce. Add salt later on as needed. This only applies to shallots, as they are sweet and not so pungent as other onions.

DO NOT put raw onions on a pizza. Always cook at least alittle first! (with salt of course)

The smaller that you mince or slice the onion, the faster the salt will bring out the moisture and soften the onion's flavor...

Other exceptions to the rule:

• I was taught to make fish fumet or consomme with finely robot-couped mirepoix, no salt needed.
• Chicken, Veal, Duck, Lamb stocks, larger diced mirepoix straight into the pot
• 'Pot Roast'-type braises where the meat will be cooked to death, the onion will have plenty time to soften

note: most of the time, when I refer to salt, I mean coarse Kosher Salt...

IF you're one of those people who LIKES raw onion, then disregard all of this!