Creamed Pearl Onions Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Note: Frozen pearl onions can be used in place of fresh. To use frozen onions, cook direct from frozen, skipping step 1.

Recipe Facts

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Active: 10 mins
Total: 50 mins
Serves: 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pearl onions (see note)

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

  1. Using a paring knife, trim off the ends of each onion and score a light "X" into one cut side. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add onions and cook until outer layers are soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain onions and run under cool water until cold enough to handle. Peel onions with your fingers and discard peels.

  2. Place onions in a medium saucepan and add heavy cream, stock, and bay leaf. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering, then lower heat to maintain a very gently simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cream has reduced to a rich sauce, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, discard bay leaf, stir in parsley, and serve. If sauce breaks and turns greasy, stir in 2 tablespoons of water and shake pan vigorously over high heat until it comes back together.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
203 Calories
15g Fat
17g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 203
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 45mg 15%
Sodium 131mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 10mg 49%
Calcium 63mg 5%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 313mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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