Braised Capon With Pearl Onions Recipes

WINE-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Place chicken and onions in a 4-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine soup, wine and seasonings; pour over chicken and onions. Cook, covered, on low 7-8 hours or until chicken is tender., Remove chicken; skim fat from cooking juices. Serve cooking juices with chicken and rice. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

BRAISED CAPON WITH PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Cut breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wing drumsticks of capon into 3-inch pieces, and trim away as much excess fat as possible (or have a butcher do this for you when you buy the capon). Reserve backbone and wing tips to make stock, if desired. Place onions in a bowl of warm water, and let stand 15 minutes to loosen their skins. Peel pearl onions, and set them aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season capon pieces with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Season matzo meal with remaining salt and pepper, and dredge the capon pieces in matzo meal, tapping off any excess.
• Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in a large, wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Arrange as many capon pieces as will fit in a single layer. Cook, turning to brown all sides well, about 10 to 15 minutes, adding remaining margarine as needed. As pieces brown, transfer them to a platter and add more pieces. When all pieces have been browned, pour off the accumulated fat. Add wine to the casserole, scrape up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon, and boil for about 1 minute. Add the capon pieces and onions, and scatter the top with thyme sprigs. Add stock, bring to a boil, and cover. Place casserole in oven, and cook until tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove casserole from oven. Lift out capon pieces and onions with a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl, and set casserole aside to let liquid cool. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. When cool, cover casserole and the bowl with capon pieces, and refrigerate them overnight.
• To serve, remove casserole from refrigerator, and scrape off solidified fat. Place over medium-high heat, and cook until liquid has reduced by about a quarter, skimming foam from the surface as necessary, about 20 minutes. Lower heat to medium low; return capon and onions to casserole, and cook, covered, about 15 minutes. Remove cover, raise heat to medium high, and cook until sauce has thickened and capon is heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

BRAISED ONIONS

Steps:

• Peel the onions, and trim roots, leaving enough to keep onion intact. Cut them lengthwise in halves or quarters, depending on their size.
• Place in a large skillet with butter, sugar, salt, pepper, and enough water to come halfway up sides of onions. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to medium-low, and cook, covered, until the onions are tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally until caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes.

BRAISED BEEF AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pat meat dry. Stir together allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and rub all over meat.
• Spread half of onions and half of garlic in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and arrange meat on top. Spread remaining onions and garlic over meat. Tightly cover pan with foil and roast, turning meat over after 1 hour, until meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours total.
• Skim fat from pan juices. Slice meat across the grain and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with onions and pan juices.
• note:.
• Beef can be braised 2 days ahead. Cool meat in juices, uncovered, then slice and chill in juices, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven 30 to 40 minutes.

BALSAMIC-GLAZED PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, combine onions, wine, butter, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until onions are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes (if onions are large, increase cooking time and add more water).
• Add vinegar and cook until sauce thickens and onions are glazed, about 3 minutes.

BRAISED ONIONS A LA JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• If you are using fresh pearl onions, they are easier to peel if you blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then run them under cold water to cool.
• If you are using frozen pearl onions, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
• Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible without breaking apart.
• Pour in the stock, add the herbs, and cover.
• Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
• Remove the herbs, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

WINE-BRAISED BRISKET OF BEEF WITH CARAMELIZED PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Season the brisket evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a boil and continue boiling until it reduces to half its original volume, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Evenly sprinkle the brisket all over with flour, shaking off excess. Heat a heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and when it is almost smoking, turn the heat to medium-high, carefully add the brisket, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a platter. Pour off the fat from the Dutch oven and add another 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, and leek, and sauté until glossy and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the apricots and all the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and tomato paste, and continue to cook 1 minute more.
• Return the browned brisket to the Dutch oven and add the reduced wine and 2 quarts stock or broth. If the brisket is not completely covered with liquid, add enough extra stock, broth, or water to cover. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot and carefully place it in the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Meanwhile, blanch and peel the onions as instructed in the tips, leaving them whole. Cut the remaining apricots into 1/4-inch strips.
• In a small sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pearl onions until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the apricot strips and pour in the remaining 1/4 cup stock or broth, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
• When the meat is done, carefully transfer it to a heated platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Boil the liquid in the Dutch oven until it thickens and reduces to about 1 quart, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary with more salt and pepper.
• To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the brisket across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices on heated serving plates or on a heated platter, spoon half the sauce over it, and garnish with the pearl onions and apricots. Sprinkle with minced parsley and pass the remaining sauce on the side. Serves 8.

BROWN BRAISED ONIONS (JULIA CHILD)

Steps:

• When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions andd saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown evenly. Be careful not to break the skins.
• Pour in the liquid and season to taste. Wrap the herbs in cheesecloth and add the herb bouquet.
• Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and serve them as they are or in another recipe.