Photo: Chiot’s Run / Flickr

A good kilogram of pickling onions is required for this recipe. The onions impart a light flavour when dressed in a creamy sauce and are a good accompaniment to poultry, meat and fish dishes. Other ingredients include dry white wine or chicken stock, soft butter, flour, milk, cream, a bay leaf, freshly grated nutmeg and finely chopped parsley. The sauce can be dressed up with sherry. Allow for a preparation time of half an hour and a cooking time of 40 minutes.

Ingredients

The following ingredients will allow for six servings of creamed pickling onions: 1 kilogram of pickling onions, 150 ml of dry white wine (or chicken stock or vegetable stock), 55 grams of soft butter (not melted), 2 level tablespoons of flour, 450 ml of milk, 150 ml of fresh, thick cream and a bay leaf.

You will also need some freshly grated nutmeg and parsley for the garnishing, as well as salt and black pepper to taste.

Prepare the pickling onions

Boil enough water in a pot to cover the onions. Drop the onions into the boiling water and allow them to boil for a few minutes before draining them. Remove the skins from the pickling onions while they are still hot. Clean the pot and place the onions into it again. Add the white wine or stock, cover the pot and simmer the ingredients for half an hour on a low heat.

Prepare the sauce

Melt 30 grams of the butter in a pan on a low heat. Sift in the flour while stirring to avoid lumps and cook the mixture for two minutes. Stir continuously so as to prevent the mixture from turning brown. Stir in the milk and cream and bring the sauce to a boil while stirring. Add the bay leaf once the sauce has boiled then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to stir until such time as the sauce has thickened.

Finish and serve

Drain the onions in the meantime and return them to the pot. Pour the sauce over them, add the remaining butter and stir over a low heat. Serve the creamed pickling onions with a grating of nutmeg and some chopped parsley.

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