Between our CSA and our addiction to the farmers market, we have an embarrassment of riches right now. And two of the ingredients we are loving at the moment are baby onions and farm fresh scallions that are so big that they can nearly double as leeks.
Which led us to want to braise them.
After they were braised, the onions and scallions were bright and a little lemony from the wine, and very decadent from the butter.
It was a good combination.
These items aren’t available all year long, in fact they’re not even available all summer long. So, we’re enjoying playing with them while they’re in season.
Braised Summer Scallions and Baby Onions
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
3 very large scallions (or leeks)
6 baby onions
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
½ cup of chicken broth
¼ cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions:
Cut the ends off of the scallions and remove green stems. Remove the thin outer layer of the white bulb and wash throughly. (Like leeks, they are a little gritty.) Cut in half vertically and set aside. Trim the ends off of the onions, and cut off the green stems. (For a faster cooking time, cut onions in half. But, I like the way they look whole, so I didn’t mind them cooking a little longer.)
Place the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, stir it constantly until it foams. Place the scallions cut side down in the butter and add the onions. When the scallions have browned slightly (about 6 minutes) flip them over and add the broth and wine. Reduce heat to low and cook until the stock/wine mixture has reduced by half, about 6-8 minutes. The scallions should be fork tender. If they are, remove them from the pan. If not, cook a little longer.
Cook onions until tender, about 6-8 minutes longer. Add more chicken broth or wine if the pan is too dry before the onions are finished cooking. A little extra liquid isn’t a bad thing, you want them to be soft and supple.
Top with chopped fresh parsley.
These make a great side dish for chicken or pork.
(Photos by Launie Kettler)