Balsamic- Braised Onions with Pomegranate

  
It's Thanksgiving! And my cousin was heckling me (justifiably) for the lack of new posts. So here's my Thanksgiving contribution - a flavorful replacement for creamed onions with symbolic fall/harvest/Persephone/pomegranate overtones, for those of you that like that kind of stuff. And I do.

Balsamic-Braised Onions with Pomegranate
adapted only slightly from Bon Appetit, November 2007

2 lbs. small boiling onions
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. light brown sugar
3 tbsps. heavy or whipping cream
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds - tips for seeding a pomegranate

- Bring water to boil in a large saucepan or pot.
- Blanch onions for one minute.
- Drain onions in colander and rinse with cool water.
- Trim and peel all onions, leaving core intact.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add onions with salt and pepper.
- Saute onions for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Add broth, wine, vinegar, and sugar and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and boil for about 18 minutes, till sauce is thickened and becomes more syrupy.
= original recipe says you can do everything up to this point one day ahead of time, but I don't really like the onions or the sauce once they get cold.
- Add cream, then stir and simmer about 2 minutes until sauce coats onions.
- Season with salt/pepper and stir in half of the pomegranate seeds.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle remaining seeds on top. Serve while still warm.