These braised pearl onions were required as part of the recipe for Julia Child’s beef bourguignon which I posted earlier. Delicious, tender, sweet and full of flavor, I thought they deserved their own post.
This side dish will also perfectly compliment a delicious grilled steak…or stew…but I can also clearly envision it on a juicy burger!
Ingredients
18 -24 white pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley
For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained. If not, peel onions…..
[these were a struggle to peel as I couldn’t tell where the skin ended and the onion began, so I threw the rest in a pot of water to blanch them..see below]
…….or blanch the onions in boiling water for one minute. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Slice off the ends; slip off the skins. [Confession: I did not slice off the ends…and I did not die..I only learned that slicing of the ends is a very useful step a few minutes ago…we live and learn, right…? ]
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes.
Roll the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
[As you can see, my patience was on “E”- as in empty, “L” as in low…and did not allow them to brown evenly]
Pour in the stock, season to taste..[who said the word taste??!!!…I wanted to eat them all at this point]
Add the herbs, and cover.
Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
Remove the herbs and set the onions aside…and try not to eat them all before dinner…!!
Adapted from “Julia Child’s–Mastering the Art of French Cooking”.
Cooking with love..and little cute onions,
..and trying something new,
Ria
