Alton Brown's onion dip

If I had to select the ultimate snack food, clam dip with potato chips would easily rise to the top. While I enjoy many snacks the rich, creamy texture of clam dip has been a favorite since childhood. I've been know to make an evening meals out chips and dip.

I'm not sure where I learned to prepare clam dip. But it, along with Lipton's California dip, were a mainstay at home.

So I smiled last week when my daughter asked me to bring three dips to her annual s'mores party. Her request included clam dip and guacamole, two snacks from her childhood.

The request for guacamole came with a caveat. I had to make it without onions. I thought Alton Brown's onion dip would compensate nicely. The dip tastes just like the packaged version.

ALTON BROWN'S ONION DIP

"In order to qualify as a dip, the candidate substance must be able to maintain constant contact with its transport medium over three feet of white carpet," said Alton Brown in the Good Eats episode, "Dip Madness."

He achieves this by combining two parts sour cream with one-part mayonnaise. The emulsifying properties of the egg in mayonnaise help hold the dip together.

The low-fat versions of sour cream and mayonnaise work just as well in this recipe. This may help reduce the caloric count a bit.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
1.4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a heavy skillet over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions.

Refrigerate and stir again before serving. This will give the flavors time to meld.