Peas and Cipolline Onions
By Ann Heller
Dayton Daily News
This recipe is for the devout farm market fans who are already on the prowl for the best and freshest in the Miami Valley. The recipe is from Michael Chiarello, a wine-country chef in California, where restaurants have a pipeline to farmers that provide them with the very freshest produce year-round.
If fresh peas are available from a farmer who swears they were picked that morning, by all means buy them and rush them home to have that night. Other cooks can substitute thawed, frozen peas added to the skillet of onions and cooked for just a minute. Cipolline onions are sometimes available at local farm markets later in the season. For now, substitute the smallest dry onions you can find.
Makes 6 servings
3/4 pound cipolline onions, unpeeled
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
3 cups shelled English peas (about 3 pounds unshelled)
1/2 teaspoon minced lemon zest
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cipolline, boil for 1 minute, then drain. Peel them while they are hot and the papery outer skin should slip off easily. Trim the root end but don't remove it. Cut the onions into narrow wedges with a piece of the root attached so the wedges hold together.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for cooking the peas.
While the water heats, melt the butter in a large skillet over moderately low heat. Add the 6 tablespoons water and the onion wedges and season with salt and pepper. Cook at a gentle bubble until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes; don`t allow them to brown. Add the thyme and cook for about 1 minute to release its fragrance.
When the water boils, add the peas and cook until they are just tender, about 3 minutes (skip this step if using frozen peas). Lift them out with a skimmer or slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the onions. Add the lemon zest and toss well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl, and spoon a couple of tablespoons of water from the pea pot into the skillet and pour the juices over the peas.
(Recipe from Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking , Chronicle, $35).
