Soft Polenta with Caramelized Onion and Fried Eggs

Low-effort, high-reward: deeply caramelized onions on a bed of creamy Parmesan polenta, topped with crispy-edged fried eggs. The onions do most of the work — all you need is time and heat.

Ingredients

• large yellow onions, thinly sliced – 3 onions (about 5 cups sliced)
• unsalted butter – 2 tablespoons
• neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable) – 1 tablespoon
• kosher salt – 1 teaspoon
• black pepper, freshly cracked – to taste
• water or dry white wine (for deglazing) – 2–3 tablespoons as needed

• water – 4 cups
• kosher salt – 1 teaspoon
• coarse-ground polenta (not instant) – 1 cup
• unsalted butter – 2 tablespoons
• Parmesan, finely grated – ¾ cup loosely packed

• unsalted butter – 1 tablespoon
• large eggs – 4 eggs
• kosher salt and black pepper – to taste

Instructions

1. Start the onions first — they take the longest. Melt the butter with the oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and salt, and stir to coat. Cook, stirring every few minutes, for 35–45 minutes total. The onions will wilt, then steam, then slowly turn golden and jammy. If they stick or the fond gets too dark, add a splash of water or wine and scrape up the bottom. Don't rush this with high heat; you want sweet, not bitter.
2. About 15 minutes before the onions are done, start the polenta. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in the polenta in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir frequently as it thickens, 15–20 minutes, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan and a spoonful holds its shape briefly before slowly relaxing. It should be creamy and pourable, not stiff.
3. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan until fully melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust salt. Cover and keep warm while you fry the eggs.
4. Check the onions — they should be deeply golden, very soft, and reduced to about a quarter of their original volume. Season with black pepper and keep warm over low heat.
5. Fry the eggs in a separate skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until it foams and just begins to quiet down. Crack in the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and fry until the whites are fully set with lacy, golden edges but the yolks are still runny, about 2–3 minutes. Tilt the pan and baste the whites with the butter if you like. Don't touch the yolks.
6. Divide the polenta among wide bowls. Spoon the caramelized onions over the top, then set a fried egg (or two) on each. Serve immediately.