Mohamed Shili This delicious and simple side dish features tender julia child braised pearl onions to perfection. It’s a quick and easy recipe that uses common ingredients you likely have on hand. The key to its rich flavor lies in the slow simmering process, which brings out the natural sweetness of the onions.
Ingredients Needed
- 1 pound (about 2 ½ cups) pearl onions (1 inch in diameter)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup chicken stock or water (vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (for brown-braised onions)
- Optional: ¼ cup heavy cream (for creamed onions)
How To Make Braised Pearl Onions
- Blanch the onions: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and blanch for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and trim off the ends. Slip off the skins. If using frozen pearl onions, defrost and drain before proceeding.
- For white-braised onions: Place the peeled onions in a single layer in a saucepan. Add chicken stock (or water) to cover them halfway, along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes, or until tender.
- For brown-braised onions: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions in a single layer and sauté until lightly browned. Pour in the stock, add salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until tender.
- Reduce excess liquid: Uncover the pan and let any remaining liquid boil off. If desired, stir in an extra tablespoon of butter for a richer flavor.
- For creamed onions (optional): When the white-braised onions are just tender, add ¼ cup of heavy cream. Simmer for a few minutes, basting the onions, until the sauce thickens.
Recipe Tips
- Peeling Pearl Onions Easily: To remove the skins effortlessly, blanch the onions in boiling water for one minute, then transfer them to cold water. The skins will slip off easily.
- Achieving Even Browning: When sautéing the onions for the brown-braised version, stir them gently to ensure they brown evenly without breaking apart.
- Choosing the Right Stock: For a richer taste, use chicken or beef stock. For a vegetarian option, vegetable stock works well.
- Simmering Time Matters: Cook the onions slowly over low heat for about 25 minutes to achieve a tender and flavorful result.
- Enhancing Creaminess: For creamed onions, add heavy cream towards the end of cooking and simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Place leftover braised pearl onions in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Transfer leftover braised pearl onions to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, place them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating Leftovers: Warm leftover braised pearl onions in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until heated through.
Nutrition Fact
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 97
- Total Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Cholesterol: 9mg
- Sodium: 186mg
- Potassium: 253mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 14g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 6g
- Protein: 3g
More julia child Recipes:
Julia Child Braised Pearl Onions
Description
This delicious and simple side dish features tender julia child braised pearl onions to perfection. It’s a quick and easy recipe that uses common ingredients you likely have on hand. The key to its rich flavor lies in the slow simmering process, which brings out the natural sweetness of the onions.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Blanch the onions: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and blanch for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and trim off the ends. Slip off the skins. If using frozen pearl onions, defrost and drain before proceeding.
- For white-braised onions: Place the peeled onions in a single layer in a saucepan. Add chicken stock (or water) to cover them halfway, along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes, or until tender.
- For brown-braised onions: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions in a single layer and sauté until lightly browned. Pour in the stock, add salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until tender.
- Reduce excess liquid: Uncover the pan and let any remaining liquid boil off. If desired, stir in an extra tablespoon of butter for a richer flavor.
- For creamed onions (optional): When the white-braised onions are just tender, add ¼ cup of heavy cream. Simmer for a few minutes, basting the onions, until the sauce thickens.
Notes
- Peeling Pearl Onions Easily: To remove the skins effortlessly, blanch the onions in boiling water for one minute, then transfer them to cold water. The skins will slip off easily.
- Achieving Even Browning: When sautéing the onions for the brown-braised version, stir them gently to ensure they brown evenly without breaking apart.
- Choosing the Right Stock: For a richer taste, use chicken or beef stock. For a vegetarian option, vegetable stock works well.
- Simmering Time Matters: Cook the onions slowly over low heat for about 25 minutes to achieve a tender and flavorful result.
- Enhancing Creaminess: For creamed onions, add heavy cream towards the end of cooking and simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.
Julia Child Braised Pearl Onions
