Senegalese Onions

Name: Senegalese Onions
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 cups, 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 6 onions (medium, white or yellow, not sweet or mild, sliced thickly - 1/3 inch slices); 4 garlic cloves (quartered); 1 cup vegetable oil (a mild oil, not olive oil); 1/2 cup whole grain mustard (not dijon); 1/4 cup brown mustard (basic, supermarket brand, not sharp); 1/4 cup lemon juice (embarrassed to say, I use jarred); 1/2 cup water; 1 bay leaf; 2 teaspoons bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon, chicken, but you could use the vegetable bouillon or two cubes); 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (I use white pepper because it adds a peppery depth, without any heat, but black pepper is better); 1/2 teaspoon salt

Submitted by Caromcg

"A disclaimer: I am not Senegalese, and I have never (sadly) been to Senegal. Furthermore, I've only eaten Senegalese food half a dozen times. At each of these Senegalese restaurants, we were served a sort-of side dish/sauce/relish made of mustardy onions. It was such a perfect complement to grilled chicken, roasted lamb, etc. We loved it! I have reviewed dozens of Senegalese & West African recipes to re-create the flavor, and I have culled ideas from many of them. In restaurants, this sauce has always been semi-spicy, but it never been as spicy as some of the recipes suggested (ie, two+ scotch bonnets). This recipe is my to-date best attempt (as of 2/9/18). This is a non-spicy option - as I generally cook for a range of lovable but wimpy people. "

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Ready In:: 35mins
Ingredients:: 11
Yields:: 4 cups
Serves:: 8

ingredients

6 onions (medium, white or yellow, not sweet or mild, sliced thickly - 1/3 inch slices)
4 garlic cloves (quartered)
1 cup vegetable oil (a mild oil, not olive oil)
¹⁄₂ cup whole grain mustard (not dijon)
¹⁄₄ cup brown mustard (basic, supermarket brand, not sharp)
¹⁄₄ cup lemon juice (embarrassed to say, I use jarred)
¹⁄₂ cup water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon, chicken, but you could use the vegetable bouillon or two cubes)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon white pepper (I use white pepper because it adds a peppery depth, without any heat, but black pepper is better)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

directions

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan.
Bring to a low boil.
Stir, making sure that onions on the bottom do not over-cook or stick.
Simmer for about 5 minutes. Check by tasting an onion; they should be noticeably softer but still a little al dente.
Turn off the heat and let the sauce sit at room temperature (I leave it all day, until dinner time).
Note: I leave the garlic & bay leaf in the sauce, as they continue to impart flavor, but the raw garlic can be jarring for some. Remove it or alert folks. After a couple of weeks, though, the garlic is deliciously pickled.
Serve room temperature as a relish alongside roasted meats. Or fry up in the roasting pan (using the pan dripping) and serve on top of meat, chicken, shrimp, etc.
Store the sauce/relish in the fridge; it last for several weeks.