A simple trick I learned in culinary school and still use to this day.
Raw onions are a polarizing ingredient.
I can understand why.
The biting flavor can overwhelm any dish and linger in my mouth for hours.
After soaking, the onions are drained.
Back then, I never questioned advice from my chef instructor (Yes, Chef!)
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
and I never thought about why and how this tip worked.
Like most things I learned in cooking school, it became part of my everyday practice in the kitchen.
I wanted to reply, Because Chef said so, but that didnt feel appropriate for someone pushing 40.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Not being able to answer the question stung, so I set out to find out.
These sulfur compounds are responsible for the tears we experience whencutting onions, as well as their assertive flavor.
When onions are sliced, these sulfuric enzymes are released and hang out on the onion’s surface.
When you soak them in cold water, two things happen.
The water rinses the enzymes off, and the cold temperature makes them less reactive.
The folks atMilk Streetsuggests salting the onions, which breaks down the fibrous texture and mellows out the flavor.
