A Worthy Side Dish: Curried Creamed Onions

Where has my mind been? Not even the ambush of cookie recipes or the gift guides have pulled me from my own mind this season to get in the spirit.

With Christmas being 9 days away, my inbox is filled with cookie packaging ideas, dozens and dozens of recipes, and most food bloggers seem to be obsessed with listing every single one of their cookie picks. I, for once, am not obsessed with the food portion of the holidays. (That’s crazy talk!) Over my lunch, I look at decorations for my “some day” house like the photos below put together by adi_t at houzz.com.

I changed my mind about my own cookie post when/because 1) I saw everyone was doing it and lost interest 2) I’m watching my calorie intake in an attempt to ditch my Thanksgiving gain 3) I’m waiting to open a present from my parents that might contain a non-stick baking mat 4) I’ve been focused (and lazy) on other matters like finding a house, filling out loan approval paperwork, copying family movies to dvd and learning code and whatnot to create a more ideal website. I’ve also been racking my brain over why I have to use two laptops to get my posts posted correctly. It’s annoying and not going away. (My brain is mush.)

I haven’t even mentioned that my in-laws are coming to visit mid-January or that my brother and sister-in-law are probably at the hospital, as I type, delivering their first bundle of joy/our new niece or nephew. (The first grandchild on Greg’s side-a first for both of our families this year.)

By the way, our 4 month old nephew is 15 lbs. 3oz. and 27 inches long. His momma, my sister, sent the above picture, possibly the cutest, smiling face ever. I love his sweet, shining, wittle baby essence.

That’s not to say that I didn’t find a few cookie recipes that I would like to try-those 3 or 4 are held to the side of my fridge by a magnet and awaiting my preparation of a half (or smaller batch) but I thought I’d spare you and instead, tell you about creamy pearl onions for your holiday table.

What sparked the creation of this dish wasn’t my appeal for it but the fact that I had a bag of pearl onions and all of the ingredients. I was convinced that it wouldn’t be one to post until the first taste-creamy, slightly sweet with a mustard tang, pure flavor love for this recipe. It cuts through salty, dry, spicy elements from other items on your plate and I suggest pairing it with a spicy meatball or fish meal for anyone not tempted enough to put it on the holiday table.

Curried Creamed Onions adapted from Saveur
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
2 lbs. white pearl onions, unpeeled
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour (called for 3 tbsp but it turned out a little too thick for my taste)
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup half-and-half (traditionally it’s cream)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
a dash of Tabasco sauce
freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add onions. Cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve ¾ cup of liquid and place onions in a bowl. Peel the onions with a knife and set aside. This will take a little time. Don’t make any plans for a while.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and curry, stirring constantly, until golden and thick, about a minute. Whisk slowly the half-and-half, the reserved liquid and mustard then bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, a dash of Tabasco sauce, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 more minutes. Transfer immediately to a platter or bowl for serving.