Note: This relish is delicious with broiled, baked or steamed fish. Try it with halibut or salmon steaks or the seafood of your choice. Serve with lemon wedges.
2 pounds onions, peeled, halved and cut crosswise into thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground allspice or cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
1 cup water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup sugar, or sweetener of your choice (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onions and seasonings and cook, stirring, for 5-10 minutes. Add the water, raisins and sugar or sweetener (if using). Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes more. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, scoop the onions out, bring the liquid to a boil and cook it until it is very thick. Then stir the onions back in. Serve warm or chilled; keeps well in a sealed refrigerator container.
Yield: About 2 cups
Adapted from Paula Wolfert's The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen
