Serves : 1 (cup)                      Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons              butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons        flour
• 1 cup                              milk
• 1/2 small                      bay leaf
• 1 lb                                small onions
• 1 grating                       of nutmeg
• +                                    salt and pepper to taste

Use either boiling onions or pearl onions.

Steam the onions, unpeeled. Cook until just tender, and cool. You should be able to squeeze the onions out fo their skins by holding the pointed end. It’s hard not to lose some of the good onion, as well as the skin.

Melt the butter over a low heat. Add and blend flour (making a roux) over a  very low heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir in milk slowly. Or, you may cool the roux and add scalded milk, for better consistency.

Cook and stir the sauce with a whisk until thickened and smooth,. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Nutmeg can be overpowering, so use sparingly.

This sauce makes 1 cup. Gently stir in the onions, heat through, and serve.

NOTES : This can be prepared a day in advance, put in a casserole dish. Refrigerate and reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.

The frozen onions are OK, but the fresh are wonderful. I’m not recommending the canned onions, but in a pinch….