Pearl Onions: a delicious treat with many nutrients and health benefits!
Pearl onions bring sweet and mild flavors to your stews or braises and they are also very tasteful when used as pickles. Nevertheless, I was not aware until now that these little treats are full of nutrients and health benefits. Did you know that pearl onions can help lower cholesterol, act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and fight infections? Now I know and for all these reasons, I am really willing to include them in more recipes.
You might be thinking pearl onions are a complete nightmare to peel off…but wait, try to follow my cooking tip and I will definitely change your mind! They can be in fact so easy to peel off.
How to peel off quickly and easily pearl onions:
- Cut off the tip of each pearl onion, opposite the root end.
- Add all the onions to a large bowl and pour boiling water. Cover the bowl for 2 minutes
- Drain the water and Repeat: pour boiling water and cover for another 2 minutes.
- Add ice cubes to another large bowl with water
- Drain the pearl onions and dip them in the icing water
- Drain and pinch each onion, it should just pop out of the skin
How to cook perfectly pearl onions:
- Use a frying pan and add the pearl onions
- Cover the onions with water halfway, the onions should not be fully covered with the water
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
- Cut out a disk of parchment paper of the same diameter as the pan and cut a little hole in the center.
- Let is simmer on the stove at medium-low temperature for 15 minutes
- Check every 5 minutes and add a little bit of water only if necessary
- Your pearl onions will be ready when steamed and tender
- Use a slotted spoon and add the pearl onions to your dish
This is the perfect way to prepare and cook pearl onions until they are tender! You can use pearl onions for the following recipes by Chez Francois!
Coq au Vin
White Veal Stew
Beef Bourguignon
Chez François uses pearl onions for many recipes such as Beef Bourguignon, Coq au Vin, Blanquette de Veau. Group cooking classes are limited to 10 guests. The fee starts from $25 per person. Click HERE to check my calendar of events. Private cooking classes can be booked at a time that suits your schedule. The fee is only from $49.99. Click HERE to book your 1:1 online cooking class!