Cooking the Onions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat and dump in fresh, unpeeled pearl onions. Cook them for 1 minute; then drain and quickly transfer them into a large pot of ice water to stop the cooking process.

3. Drain the onions in a colander and peel them. The skins should come off easily once the onions are blanched.

4. Put the pearl onions into a baking dish. Drizzle canola, olive or other cooking oil over them and toss to coat. Sprinkle on a few pinches of table or sea salt and some freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

5. Spread the onions in a single layer in the baking dish; put them on a middle rack in the oven. Roast the onions for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, until they're soft and starting to brown a bit in spots. Stir them every 10 minutes or so to promote even cooking and prevent burned bottoms.

6. Add about 1/3 cup of reduced-sodium beef, chicken or vegetable broth per 2 pounds of pearl onions into the roasting pan. Deglaze the dish by scraping up any baked-on browned bits with a spatula. Return it to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Making the Cream Sauce

1. Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter per 2 pounds of pearl onions over medium heat in a large skillet. Begin about 20 minutes before the onions finish roasting.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour per tablespoon of butter slowly into the pan, whisking constantly for about a minute until no lumps are present.

3. Pour 1 1/2 cups of room temperature heavy cream slowly into the skillet, still continuously whisking the mixture until all the liquid is incorporated. Bring it to a boil; then reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Include other desired seasonings, such as a bay leaf, thyme, sage and nutmeg. You can also add basil or give the creamed onions a little kick with a light application of your favorite spicy pepper powder.

5. Reduce the cream sauce to a thick, gravy-like consistency, stirring often. It should finish about the same time as the pearl onions. When it's finished, pour the sauce into the baking dish with the onions and mix well. Top the dish with some fresh herbs or a coating of panko bread crumbs.