Caramelized Fennel and Onions

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, halved then sliced lengthwise in 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 large fennel bulbs, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• Salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil and butter in a large, wide, uncovered pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced fennel and onions, then stir so everything gets a glossy coating. Continue cooking, stirring now and then.
2. After about 10 minutes, season the fennel and onions with salt. Turn the heat down to medium.
3. The goal is steady browning without letting the vegetables shrivel or scorch. You want enough heat for the natural sugars in the fennel and onions to deepen in color, but not so much that the pan dries them out.
4. If the mixture starts looking too dry, add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan to loosen things up and help prevent the fennel and onions from drying out too much. As you cook, stir occasionally and use your spoon to lift the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those little bits are where so much of the flavor lives.
5. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your timing and how deeply caramelized you want the vegetables. More time means more browning and a richer flavor.
6. Taste as you go, and stop when the fennel and onions are cooked to your liking.
7. Also, don’t feel as if they need to be fully collapsed and browned everywhere. They’ll still have plenty of flavor before they reach that point.
8. When you’re ready to serve, take the pan off the heat. Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste, then add more lemon juice if it needs a brighter finish.
9. Serve it on its own as a side with chicken or seafood, spoon it onto crackers or thinly sliced toasted baguette for crostini, or use it as the filling for a rustic tart.