Balsamic-Braised Cipolline with Pomegranate

Can you believe I've never plucked and eaten a fresh cherry from a tree? I have eaten a less commonly found in backyards fruit, the pomegranate, straight from the tree. The house I grew up in had a much neglected and improperly sited pomegranate tree (large bush, really) under a towering tree in the backyard. No one cared for this fruit tree, and I remember myself being the only one excited when the tree produced a handful of fruits each year.

Cracking open this strange fruit, plucking all the ruby jewels nestled together in membrane-divided pockets, gently biting down on a handful of seeds to release the tangy, sweet juice of the flesh surrounding the seed, and then, of course, spitting the seeds from the porch in a contest with my best friend made for at least thirty minutes of fun to fill my carefree, youthful days.

Pomegranates make an appearance this time of year, and I usually indulge in at least one. Eating a pomegranate is time consuming and somewhat meditative – the opposite of how I generally eat food. The way I like to eat a pomegranate is a few seeds at a time, biting gently down to release the juices, then spit the seeds out. You can eat the seeds, but it just feels wrong to me.

These gems are appearing more and more on salads, and other foods, like the balsamic-braised cipolline onions with pomegranate recipe in the Thanksgiving issue of Bon Appètit, ever since being proclaimed a super-food. I gave Bon Appètit’s Thanksgiving menu another try, and this time it was a success. Except the pomegranate seeds.

If you enjoy crunching and swallowing pomegranate seeds, leave them in the recipe. Spitting seeds out table-side is not allowed, so for those who are pomegranate seed-spitters like me, save the pomegranate for contemplative solitude (spitting contest).

I will name him George, and I will hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him.

Cipollini must mean cute-as-a-button, because that’s what these small, flat, sweet bulbs are. How could I resist these when I spied them in the store? Actually not onions, cipollini are the edible bulbs of a grape hyacinth, Muscari comosum.

Onion or not, cipollini taste like onions, and caramelized onions are like candy to me, so I could not pass up this recipe. I ate these with this year’s Thanksgiving faux turkey (turned out well; details soon), but meat-eaters should try these braised cipolline with beef. Having eaten a grilled steak once a week until the age of 15, I do know what beef tastes like!

Balsamic-Braised Cipolline with Pomegranate
Adapted from Bon Appètit

2 pounds cipolline onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

• Blanche cipolline in boiling water 1 minute. Drain, cool briefly, trim ends, and peel.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.Add cipolline, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté until brown, 12 minutes.
  
• Add vegetable broth, wine, vinegar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
• Increase heat, and boil until cipolline are tender and the liquid has thickened, stirring often, 5 to 15 minutes depending on amount of liquid left in pan.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
• *Crème fraiche was omitted from this recipe, but, if you like, add 3 tablespoons of crème fraiche or heavy whipping cream to the cipolline right before removing from heat and transferring to serving bowl.