Uncle Gordon is my godfather. Gordon and my Dad met over 30 years ago when my Dad picked Gordon up when he was hitchhiking. Gordon is married to Susan who went to high school with my Mom. When you live in a tiny town in Maine everyone is connected to everyone else in 15 different ways. Gordon and Susan and their kids have always spend Thanksgiving with my family. This year Gordon was unable to attend Thanksgiving dinner because he was sailing a yacht to the Caribbean. It seemed like a pretty solid reason to miss Thanksgiving in Maine. I did have one concern, if Uncle Gordon was going to miss Thanksgiving… would his pearl onions make it to Thanksgiving?
Susan stepped up to the plate and made the onions this year. And they were delicious! Thanks Susan!
You will need:
4 10 oz. pkgs. of gold, red or white pearl onions (sometimes we mix them)
6 tbsp. of butter
6 tbsp. of flour
3 cups of milk, heated almost to the boiling point
4 tbsp. of cream sherry (can add more to desired taste)
few drops of tabasco sauce
few dashes of ground nutmeg (to taste)
white pepper and salt to taste
Step 1:
To peel onions drop in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Rinse in cold water. Cut root end off and squeeze gently toward the root end until onion slips out. This is not as difficult as it sounds and can be done the day before.
Step 2:
To cook onions, drop peeled onions into boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes once the water returns to a second boil (very important). Drain.
Step 3:
To make cream sauce, melt butter over med-high heat. When melted, add flour, stirring constantly with wire whisk, until all butter is absorbed. Turn heat down to low and add milk slowly, continue to stir with whisk. Add sherry, tabasco, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Fold in cooked onions and mix well. Garnish with fresh parsley.