Author Topic: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?  (Read 21144 times)

Offline Peleep

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 44
    • View Profile
Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« on: June 06, 2011, 11:08:33 am »
Hi Everyone.

Quick tip required please!  What is the best method to dice then brown onions and garlic so that that they're beautifully golden and the oniony/garlicky taste is gone?  I've cooked a number of delicious dishes since buying the Thermomix and I still seem to have an onion/garlic after taste in my mouth, which is not present when cooking the same dishes on the stove?

ie. the onions/garlic seem to sweat rather than fully brown/cook.  What is wrong with my method please? 

My method:
1. TMX on Varoma temp for 5 minutes (takes about 5 minutes initially to reach Varoma temp), blade speed 1, about a tablespoon of oil.

2. Turn Blade speed up to 6, drop in onion/garlic, for about 3-5 seconds, depending on how fine i want the chopping.

3. scrape down the sides to ensure all chopped onion/garlic is down the bottom of the bowl.

4. TMX at Varoma temp. 10 minutes. Reverse. Blade speed spoon or 1.


Offline mkr

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 78
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2011, 11:14:47 am »
This might explain why the browning is not occurring. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction

In short, the temperature is not hot enough to create the chemical reaction necessary to brown the onions.

Offline meganjane

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3722
    • View Profile
    • The Bush Gourmand
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2011, 12:20:21 pm »
I prefer not to brown onions and garlic for most recipes. I actually add a little salt to prevent it happening.
I do make sure I cook both for a good 5 minutes and haven't found the oniony/garlicky taste that you're describing. Perhaps you need to cook the final recipe longer?
A great cook is one who can rustle up a fabulous family meal with some freezer burnt chops, wilted carrots, sprouting potatoes and cabbage that's gone brown on the cut edges.
The Bush Gourmand

Offline Cornish Cream

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17490
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2011, 12:33:37 pm »
Have a look on the UK Thermomix website,it has a topic about browning onions  :)
 http://www.ukthermomix.com/recshow.php?rec_id=145
Denise...Buckinghamshire,U.K.
Don't cry over the past,it's gone.Don't stress about the future,it hasn't arrived.Live in the present and make it beautiful.

Offline Katya

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 856
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2011, 12:50:17 pm »
Thanks for that link CC - I hadn't seen it.   :-* :-*

Offline meganjane

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3722
    • View Profile
    • The Bush Gourmand
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2011, 01:25:36 pm »
That's very interesting! The use of bi-carb obviously makes a difference.
Thanks for the link.
A great cook is one who can rustle up a fabulous family meal with some freezer burnt chops, wilted carrots, sprouting potatoes and cabbage that's gone brown on the cut edges.
The Bush Gourmand

Offline faffa_70

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3696
  • My favourite things TMX ... roses & purple :)
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2011, 02:39:31 am »
somewhere on here Thermomixer suggested adding a splash of water to help them along too from memory
Kathryn - Perth WA :)
Mum of 5 hungry mouths :D
Noni to 3 more hungry mouths!

Offline JaneeZee

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2011, 03:14:38 am »
Fascinating link CC.  Just don't know that I'm that bothered about browning my onion!!! :D

Offline Mimmie and Me

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2011, 12:17:58 pm »
hhhmmm??? 15 minutes to brown onions..... I'd rather stand over the stove, stirring for 3 minutes! I'm new to the TM and I'm liking or loving most things about it but I hate the raw onion and garlic taste in things. My husband and I have already worked out that we need to saute onions/garlic for 5 - 7 minutes instead of the 2 - 3 that the cook book suggests... but they still don't brown and it does make things taste different. The natural MSG in onions and garlic are only released with certain cooking methods.

Offline CreamPuff63

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7675
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2011, 03:19:01 pm »
as a Non-Consultant...I would base my dishes on if I was cooking with the TM or a pan method. In recipes that I have used for TM, they have given times to saute the onions/garlic but they have not caramelised them

Depending upon personal preference I would chop by hand, 3 Secs Speed . If you are wanting to caramelise go by the pan method as specified in your book, othewise saute in the TM as per the recipe
Non Consultant from Perth, Western Australia

A balanced diet is a biscuit in each hand

Offline faffa_70

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3696
  • My favourite things TMX ... roses & purple :)
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2011, 03:34:22 pm »
I don't like either the caramelised taste of onions in recipes or the taste of raw onions/garlic so I am easy to please. I chop for 3-5 seconds on speed 5 and then sauté for 5 mins on 100 deg ALWAYS  :)
Kathryn - Perth WA :)
Mum of 5 hungry mouths :D
Noni to 3 more hungry mouths!

Offline johnro

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1925
    • View Profile
Re: Browning onions & garlic: best technique?
« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2011, 02:40:39 am »
I generally choose the method mentioned by CP - over the stove, but if pushed for time leaving the MC off helps with the saute of onions and garlic as the moisture does not collect on lid.  However this does need the 5mins at 100 degs!  :)  :)
Robyn from Rockhampton, Qld  :)

I used to have a handle on life, then it broke.