Onion caviar from red onions

Preparation: approx. 24 hours
Working time: approx. 25 minutes
Quantity: approx. 200 ml onion caviar

Ingredients

For the onion broth

• 200 ml water

• 200 ml white wine vinegar

• ½ red onion, finely chopped

For the onion caviar

• 200 ml prepared onion broth

• 2.6 g agar-agar

• 400 ml sunflower oil

Optional for a rounder flavor

• 5–10 g sugar

• 1 small pinch of salt

Preparation

Chill the sunflower oil very cold for at least 5 hours.

It should be clearly cooled and slightly viscous, but not frozen. A tall, narrow container is especially suitable because the droplets have enough time to gel on their way down.

Make the onion broth

1. Prepare the broth

Mix water and white wine vinegar together.

2. Add onion

Finely chop the red onion and add it to the broth.

3. Let steep

Cover the mixture and let it steep in the refrigerator for 24 hours. During this time, the broth absorbs the color and aroma of the red onion.

4. Strain

Strain the broth through a fine sieve.

Then measure 200 ml of the strong pink onion broth.

Make the onion caviar

1. Stir in agar-agar

Thoroughly stir 200 ml onion broth with 2.6 g agar-agar.

2. Bring to a boil

Bring the liquid to a boil while stirring constantly.

Let it lightly boil for about 1 minute so that the agar-agar is fully activated.

3. Cool briefly

Let the liquid cool for a few minutes.

It must remain warm and completely liquid. As soon as agar-agar cools too much, it begins to gel.

4. Fill into a bottle

Pour the broth into a pipette, dosing bottle, or small squeeze bottle.

5. Form pearls

Drop the warm broth drop by drop into the very cold sunflower oil.

The individual drops slowly sink through the oil and gel into small onion pearls.

6. Leave briefly in oil

Leave the pearls in the cold oil for about 2–3 minutes.

7. Strain

Carefully strain the onion caviar through a fine sieve.

8. Rinse

Rinse the pearls briefly with very cold water so that no oil film remains.

Let drain well.

Chef's tip

For particularly uniform and small pearls, it is best to use a pipette or dosing bottle with a small opening.

Hold the bottle about 5–10 cm above the oil. Drip slowly and do not add too many drops at once. Otherwise, the pearls can stick together.

A tall, narrow container is better than a wide bowl. This gives the drops a longer path through the cold oil and makes them rounder.

Gourmet tip

For a slightly softer and more balanced flavor, you can replace 50 ml white wine vinegar with 50 ml mild apple cider vinegar.

5–10 g sugar and a small pinch of salt also make the broth more harmonious.

Onion caviar pairs very well with:

• Beef tartare

• smoked or cured fish

• scallops

• roast beef

• goat cheese

• mountain cheese

• game dishes

• pâtés and terrines

Storage

Store the finished onion caviar in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator.

It tastes best within 2–3 days.

FAQ

Why does the sunflower oil have to be so cold?

The very cold oil ensures that the liquid mixed with agar-agar gels quickly when dripping in. This creates small, firm pearls.

Why are my onion pearls not round?

Often the oil is not cold enough or the container is too shallow. Use very cold oil in a tall container and drip the broth in individually.

Can I use another oil instead of sunflower oil?

Yes. Use a neutral-tasting oil, for example rapeseed oil. Olive oil is less suitable because its own flavor can transfer to the pearls.

Does agar-agar really have to be boiled?

Yes. Agar-agar must be boiled briefly to activate its gelling power. About 1 minute of light boiling is sufficient for this recipe.

Can I prepare the onion caviar in advance?

Yes. You can prepare it well a few hours before serving and store it chilled.

Can I freeze the onion caviar?

That is not recommended. Freezing and thawing can change the structure of the small pearls.

What goes particularly well with onion caviar?

It goes very well with beef tartare, roast beef, salmon, scallops, cheese, game, and fine appetizers.