Creamed Pearl Onions Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This savory Creamed Pearl Onions recipe graces my holiday table with sweet onions and a cream sauce that compliments everything being served.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: servings as a side dish

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Cost: $0.59 per serving

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound pearl onions use fresh or frozen; fresh should be boiled in water in a stock pot over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender, then shocked in an ice water bath, peeled, and trimmed; frozen should be defrosted, drained, and dried as best you can
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups rich beef or veal stock
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup Cognac may also use brandy or white wine
3 to 5 dashes Worcestershire sauce to taste
2 dashes Tabasco or other favorite hot sauce, to taste
pinch Kosher salt to taste
pinch white pepper to taste

Instructions

make a roux

Put flour into a small cast-iron skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large dee-sided saucepan over medium heat. Add toasted flour to create a roux, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in stock and bring to a boil, whisking until the roux is very, very smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in cream. Return saucepan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
Optional: if you want to get a bit of golden-brown caramelization going on the onions, add the cast iron back atop the heat and melt a half tablespoon or so of butter. Once the butter is foaming, add the onions to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the onions begin to show some color. Caramelizing the onions BEFORE continuing with the recipe will require not just draining them, but also drying them as best you can on paper toweling.

build the Cognac cream sauce

Remove the saucepan from the heat again. Add brandy or wine and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add onions; reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes. Whisk in remaining butter, add Worcestershire and Tabasco, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

Taste for Seasoning Before You Add the Onions into the Cognac sauce. If you feel like it requires salt, consider using Worcestershire sauce in dashes. Worcestershire sauce is the fastest way to season without adding more salt than is healthy.

Nutrition