I've been off of membrillo and honey for awhile now. They're great for cheese because they're downright tasty, but it's been awhile since I've actually served them. I'm not a big dresser-upper of my cheese anyway, and often think that anything more than an excellent bread is extraneous. But if the condiment is a true cheese enhancer, I can be easily convinced otherwise.
Consider me the ideal candidate to receive a gift of a jam like this. The ultimate in enhancing. Given with a small wedge of cheese, this jam would make any cheese lover swoon. Or forget the gift-giving altogether and make it just for you. (Or me.)
There's something about that amazing collision of sweet and savory that makes sweeter condiments for cheese so amazingly satisfying. This jam is no exception. What's great about this one, though, is its vinegary backbone, which stands up to the sweetness of the raisins and the sugar and cuts through the fatiness of whatever cheese you serve it with.
Because it requires only a handful of ingredients, you can easily become a believer. It takes less than 20 minutes, start to finish, including prep and cleanup, and it's fun to make, too. I used the largest golden raisins I could find (I got the ones in the photo from Kalustyan's), since they're more meaty. They absorb a ton of the vinegary syrup, becoming plump and more complex. If you can, find them in bulk at Middle-Eastern grocery stores and specialty shops.
Cheese that works best with this condiment: cheddars, fresh goats, and stinky cheeses. Blues would be nice, too. I can't think of many cheeses that this jam wouldn't complement. Maybe an aged gouda? Nah, that'd probably taste better with a dollop of it, too.
The trick to the recipe: white balsamic vinegar. It has a really lovely sweetness while still retaining a bracingly acidic backbone. It's dramatically well balanced, resulting in a jam that's delicate yet bold, and able to stand up to the most intense of cheeses without playing second fiddle. Smeared on a piece of baguette or a cracker and topped with some cheese, consider this your newest insta-cheese-enhancer in a jar.
Makes 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, julienned
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup white balsamic vinegar
¾ cup golden raisins
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add red onion, thyme, sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onions are very soft and lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Do not brown onions. Add vinegar and golden raisins and increase heat to high. Cook until liquid is syrupy and nearly reduced, about 5 minutes more. Remove thyme sprigs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.
Nora Singley is an avid lover of cheese, and used to be a cheesemonger and the Director of Education at Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City, where she continues to teach cheese classes for the public. She is currently a TV Chef on The Martha Stewart Show.
Related: Recipe: Onion-Thyme Jam
(Images: Nora Singley)
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Looks delicious and relatively simple!
What is the yummy looking bread you have in the first photo?
I am not a fan of raisins, and make a similar version of onion jam...
I use onion, a bit of olive oil, then add chicken stock for some depth of flavor, then balsamic and brown sugar and let the whole mess caramelize and reduce down.
Lovely stuff on just about everything!
Funny you should ask... I posted about it last week:
It's a
Date and Cherry Nut Bread
how long does it keep and does it have to go in the fridge right away? can it be canned? looks awesome!
This jam should keep for awhile. I'd say at least a month, if not longer. It could most definitely be canned, too. After you make it, let it cool and store it in the fridge, but it's great to pull out and leave at room temperature before you serve it, as the flavors will be more pronounced when not freezing cold, directly from the fridge.
You mentioned this is good with a nicely aged cheddar.... Can you recommend any other non-stinky or non-soft cheese? I LOVE cheese but have a developed an allergy to mold (no bleu cheeses of any sort) and the soft ripened cheeses make me VERY ill! Currently I'm limited to aged cheddar, parmigiano-regiano, and gouda but am looking to broaden my tastes a bit. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance!
@wittersgarden:
If you like aged cheddars and goudas, I'd suggest you venture into the Mountain Cheese family. These are all for 9+ months and have distinctly nutty, sweet flavors, since the curd is cooked, thereby caramelizing the milk sugars and making for a pleasantly sweet-salty cheese. Try gruyere, comte, emmenthaler, appenzeller, and hoch ybrig. And report back!