Sautéed chicken with caramelised onions

Method
Prep:7min  ›  Cook:22min  ›  Ready in:29min 

1. Cut each onion into 6 wedges. Sprinkle the chicken with pepper.
2. Coat a large nonstick frying pan with cooking spray or a little olive oil. Add 2 teaspoons butter and melt over a medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, and melt the remaining butter in the pan. Sauté the onions with 1 tablespoon of the sugar for about 8 minutes or until they are golden brown and caramelised. Stir frequently, breaking the onions apart as they cook. Add the stock and boil for about 2 minutes or until it has evaporated.
4. Stir in the rosemary, thyme and remaining sugar. Return the chicken to the pan and sprinkle with the vinegar. Cook for a further 4 minutes or until the juices from the chicken run clear.

Some more ideas

*Use caramelised onions to top a homemade pizza, or stuff into pitta pockets along with fresh vegetables for a vegetarian sandwich. Or just serve as a side dish.
*Replace the chicken breasts with boneless pork loin chops or turkey breast fillets.
*Does chopping onions make you cry? Blame it on the sulphuric compounds in the vegetable. One remedy is to leave the root end intact; this is where the compounds are concentrated. Or freeze the onion for 20 minutes before cutting, to inhibit the chemical release.

Health points

Caramelising the onions produces a rich flavour, and makes them much more palatable. The same cooking process can bring out the best flavour in other vegetables, such as peppers and carrots.