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Marinated Onion for Shashlik
Instructions
First I get the ingredients ready. You can swap the apple vinegar for any fruit vinegar or for rice vinegar – the main thing is to keep it at 6% concentration. For marinating, both white and red onion are suitable.
I cut the onion in half and shred it into thin strips.
I finely chop the herbs.
I transfer the onion into a container with a tight-fitting lid and add the sugar.
Next, the salt.
I pour in the vinegar.
Now I mix everything together and knead it with my hands or, as people used to say in the old days, give it a good squeeze.
I add the chopped parsley.
I mix it all and cover with the lid. Let the onion stand like this for 15–20 minutes, just on the table. Some juice has already been released, and over that time the amount grows further and the onion marinates.
The marinated onion for shashlik is ready.You can take the finished onion with you on an outing – it will keep in a container with a lid, without losing its flavour, for up to 6 hours. If you store it longer, the strips soften a little and turn more sour. Sprinkle the marinated onion over the ready shashlik and enjoy the taste, improved by this crunchy addition.
Tips
- 1
The dry marinade is the secret to the crunch. Water in a marinade softens the onion roughly twice as fast. Without water, the strips stay crunchy for up to 6 hours.
- 2
Kneading by hand is the secret to the juice. Without any pressure the onion takes about an hour to marinate and stays bitter. Squeezing it by hand breaks down the cells, the juice releases quickly, and the bitterness goes.
- 3
The 6% vinegar is the secret to balance. A 9% vinegar makes the onion harshly sour, while 3% will not remove the bitterness. Only 6% apple or wine vinegar gives the right tang.
- 4
Adding the herbs at the end is the secret to the aroma. Parsley added at the start darkens from the vinegar. Thrown in after about 10 minutes, the aroma stays fresh and the colour bright green. The same principle works in other kinds of quick marinades.
FAQ
Which onion should I choose for marinating? +
Red onion is ideal – it is sweeter and gives a prettier colour. Plain white onion is the classic choice, and a mild sweet onion or shallot also works well and is gentler. Do not use onions that have sprouted green shoots, or soft or spoiled bulbs, and avoid spring onion greens, as they have a different flavour. For a classic result, choose a firm onion with no sprouts.
What can I use instead of apple vinegar? +
Use any fruit vinegar at 6%: red or white wine vinegar works well, and rice vinegar gives an Asian accent. Lemon or lime juice can stand in if you prefer no vinegar at all. Do not use harsh 9% distilled vinegar or undiluted vinegar essence. For a classic result, stick to a 6% fruit vinegar.
How long does the marinated onion keep? +
In a container with a lid at room temperature it keeps for up to 6 hours – just right for the length of a cookout. In the fridge it lasts up to 3 days, but the strips soften and turn more sour. Before serving, stir it and drain off any excess juice. By the next day the flavour is deeper but the crunch is gone. I do not recommend freezing it, as the texture breaks down completely. Do not leave it in the sun, as the vinegar will soften the onion faster. It is at its best freshly made, about 20 minutes after mixing.
What do I serve marinated onion with? +
It is the classic partner for shashlik – with pork, lamb or beef cooked over the coals, and equally good with chicken or fish shashlik and with lyulya-kebab. It also goes well with grilled vegetables such as courgette, aubergine and pepper, with pilaf in place of a salad, and with baked potatoes. Tuck it into a wrap or a sandwich, or serve it as part of any picnic spread.
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