Creamed Onions - pearl onions

Method

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• If using fresh onions, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add onions and cook 1 minute to loosen the skins.
• Drain.
• When cool enough to handle, trim both ends, leaving enough of the root end to keep the onions whole while roasting.
• Peel off the skins.
• Toss the prepared fresh onions (or frozen onions) with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
• Spread in an even layer in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate all the onions in a single layer.
• (If youre using fresh onions, a 9-by-13-inch pan is large enough; if using frozen, you may need a larger pan.)
• Roast the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and brown in spots, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven and add broth, stirring and scraping up any brown bits.
• Return the pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes more.
• About 30 minutes after the onions start roasting, start the cream sauce.
• Melt butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour and cook, until the mixture bubbles and is free of lumps, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in milk, then add bay leaf, thyme, pepper and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a gentle boil, whisking often.
• Reduce heat to the barest simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of thick gravy, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat.
• Discard the bay leaf.
• Stir the roasted onions and any broth from the pan into the cream sauce.
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm.