Cry Babies

Baby-onion lovers are faced with a problem: Preparing the little treats can be a lot of work; you have to peel each tiny onion individually.

In their quest to find quicker versions of this favorite, some people resort to strange solutions. I have tasted creamed onions that were made with pickled pearl onions. The vinegary brine and the cream sauce clashed dreadfully.

One trick for making the task of peeling baby onions easier is to cook them first. Once they’re tender, the skins will slip off quite easily.

This method works fine if you only want to poach your baby onions in water or broth. If you wish to glaze or saute them, however, you can’t cook the onions completely before peeling them. They’ll be too soft.

The compromise is to boil them for just a minute over high heat. Then transfer them to a strainer, rinse with cold water and drain well. Cut off the root ends of the onions, leaving the layers as intact as possible. Slip off the peels and proceed with your recipe.

Easiest of all is to use frozen pearl onions, because they’re already peeled. Their cooking time is shorter also, about five to 10 minutes instead of 15 to 20. Another advantage of frozen onions is their uniform size, so you don’t need to worry that some will remain too firm and others will fall apart during cooking.

Pearl onions are very small, about 1 inch in diameter. At some markets you can find larger onions called boiling onions, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. They can be prepared like pearl onions but their cooking time is longer; on the other hand, there are fewer onions to peel for each portion. Specialty markets sometimes carry cipolline, flat-topped Italian boiling onions that can also be cooked the same way.

Cook all these small onions thoroughly. If left somewhat crunchy, they have a raw taste. When they are meltingly tender but just firm enough to hold their shape, their flavor is rich and wonderful.

Small onions are delightful when combined with other vegetables. The time-honored French partner for baby onions is mushrooms, either sauteed or braised in broth. They’re also terrific paired with carrots, zucchini or snow peas.

A favorite technique in France is to glaze them with butter, sugar and a little broth. During glazing, the sugar begins to caramelize and accentuates the onions’ sweetness. The petite onions are also delicious in red or white wine sauce or in tomato sauce. They can also be added to chicken or beef stews for the last 20 minutes of cooking. However, many chefs prefer to cook them separately so they will not be crushed when the stew is stirred.

BABY ONIONS AND CARROTS WITH RAISINS

White wine and raisins give this stew of pearl onions and carrots a delicate sweet and sour 2 to 3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

1/2 pound fresh pearl onions, peeled, or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen pearl onions

1 pound carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup dark raisins

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth or water

1/3 cup dry white wine or additional broth

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 bay leaf

Lemon juice, optional

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add pearl onions and carrots and saute until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add raisins, broth, wine, salt and pepper to taste and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

(If using frozen pearl onions, skip sauteing step. Add frozen onions after carrots have cooked 10 minutes. Continue cooking 10 minutes longer or until onions and carrots are tender.)

Raise heat to medium. Uncover and cook until liquid forms a syrupy glaze, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add lemon juice to taste. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.