profile of the finished product.
Mission 2: Increase the Maillard Reaction
There are a number of things that affect the Maillard
reaction, but the overriding factors are temperature and pH.
At this point, I had no safe way to increase the temperature
—just like with a steak, if you cook the onions too hot, the
edges and outsides of each piece begin to burn before the
interiors have a chance to release their chemicals. Low and
slow is the only way to go.
On the other hand, I had a bit of control over the pH. In
general, the higher the pH (i.e., the more basic or alkaline),
the faster the Maillard reaction takes place. The key is
moderation. While large amounts of baking soda
dramatically increased the browning rate (by over 50
percent!), any more than ¼ teaspoon per pound of chopped
onions proved to be too much—the metallic flavor of the
baking soda took over.
I also noticed that the baking-powdered onions were
much softer—not an undesirable trait for a soup. This is
because pectin, the chemical glue that holds vegetable cells
together, weakens at higher pH levels. Faster breakdown
means faster release of chemicals, which means faster
overall cooking.
Mission 3: Increase the Heat
Back to the heat. As I mentioned, the problem with
increasing the heat too much higher than medium-low is that
the onions begin to cook unevenly. Some bits and edges
will start to blacken long before other bits reach even the