Onion mash

[Diflower]

For Ally as requested
Not really a recipe, you could probably have guessed
Do your normal amount of potatoes for mash. Meanwhile chop onion quite small.
Quantity will depend on number of portions, how strong the onion, and how oniony you want your mash, but for the two of us I did about 3/4 of an average sized onion. If it was a big Spanish onion I'd probably do a small half, they're milder aren't they, but you do want quite a lot, it should end up good and oniony, if it's meant to be onion mash

Cook the onion. Tonight I cooked the sausages in the oven so while it was on put the chopped onion in a dish with a knob of butter and covered it with foil and baked it. Otherwise I microwave it, the same, in a dish with a bit of butter.
Then you mash your potatoes, and add the onion with any loose butter - you probably still need a bit more butter, and maybe a little milk, maybe some salt & pepper.
I only really do them with sausages, and actually also like it with raw onion if it's to go with eg baked beans, but Bb's not so keen so I usually cook them

[Ally]

Thanks Di.

Mum loves onions cooked in butter and then I put them on top of a slice of square sausage ( ) and put the lot into a sandwich..she adores it.

I cook my onions in butter in a pan.
Would I just add all this to the mash?
I wouldn't have to drain it first?

I'm just thinking the 'juice' might be a darker colour due to the method of cooking?
But I suppose once it's covered in gravy it won't matter?

Please advise oh wise one.

[Kaz]

Sounds gorgeous Di I've done similar with chopped spring onions, sometimes adding a bit of grated cheese

[Workingman]

I like to do the onions in half-ring slices until they are caramelised and going crisp and drain them on a paper towel. They then get folded into the mash. Yummeeeee.

[Diflower]

For adding the onion to mash Ally, you could have them coloured, but that would give a different flavour. I've done both, but for the browned version I'd drain them first, so you get flecks of brownish onion, not beige mash
To cook in a pan without colouring just use a small saucepan, a lowish heat and a lid

[Ally]

Sorry Di..I'm being thick here.

When you say to cook in the pan without colouring...do I still add a little bit of butter to cook the onions?

(I need to get this bang on now cos in the car taking mum home today I asked her (just to check) if she liked onion mash.
Oh yes she said..I love it!)

[Workingman]

Sorry Di..I'm being thick here.

When you say to cook in the pan without colouring...do I still add a little bit of butter to cook the onions?

She's not here.... probably stocking up on onion mash.

I think that Di meant for you to sauté the onions on a low heat till they turn translucent..... so, yes, a bit of butter will be needed. Not too much and not too hot.

[Diflower]

Sorry, was watching cricket, doing dinner, enjoying Bb getting home earlier than expected, eating dinner, watching Masterchef, ooh all sorts

Yes Ally, you still need something in the pan, a little knob of butter and in order to make sure it doesn't burn, maybe a splash of oil as well, not olive oil though the flavour's too strong. Not wrong, but it would give a quite different result.

So, put your pan on a low heat, put in a knob (teaspoonful?) of butter, about the same of vegetable oil if you have it, otherwise don't worry. Add your chopped onions, stir around to coat in the butter, put the lid on and cook for probably 10 minutes.
Assuming you're in the kitchen, keep an ear out, if you can hear much/any noise from the pan, the heat's probably a bit too high so give it a stir and turn the heat down. As WM says the onion wants to end up translucent and softish

And if you're worried about it, you can get the onions cooked much earlier if you want, then pop the mash back on a low heat and beat in the onion which will heat it up fine

[Workingman]

As WM says the onion wants to end up translucent and softish

See. I am not as bad a cook as you all think I am. It's just that Di can't spell sauté.

[Diflower]

WM believe me, I've never thought you were a bad cook
Sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté, sauté