Bride of Magazine Challenge: Glazed Shallots

So.
I'm still making posts for things I made last year.  Sigh.  My excuse on this one is that these little gems graced our Christmas Dinner table.  I didn't really blog much between then and the end of the year.
I've made these and another onion side in the past year.  In both cases, J wasn't convinced that they were going to be good.  In both cases, he was pleasantly surprised.  Frankly, in terms of this recipe, so was I.
I'm not much of a sweet and sour girl.  I really don't think sweet things belong in an entree course.  But I thought these sounded good and they helped to fulfill my quota for Year 2 of the Magazine Challenge.
The biggest challenge?  Peeling a whole pound of shallots.  They're small and fiddly.  Martha did, however, have a tip for peeling them that did make decidedly short work of them.  Soak the shallots in warm water until the skins are wrinkled and cracked.  Then slip them off with a paring knife.  It didn't take me long that way!
I present to you now from the December 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Glazed Shallots:

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp oil
1 lb shallots, peeled, stem end intact, halved if large
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 c fresh orange juice (the juice of about 2 oranges)
1/2 c cider vinegar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1.  In a large skillet, heat oil.  Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.
2.  In a large measuring cup, combine orange zest and juice, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper with 1-3/4 cups of water.  Pour over shallots.  Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the remaining liquid is like syrup.  Shallots should be tender.  Serve immediately.

From Everyday Food, December 2006

The nice thing about this recipe is that it can cook while you do last minute things in the kitchen.  They simmer on the back of the stove while everything else happens.

When I started the reduction process, I was sure there was way too much liquid to be done in 40 minutes, but they were.  If after 40 mintues there is still too much liquid, raise the temperature and stir more frequently until there is just a glazing syrup left.

They're sweet, but not overly so.  If you don't like onions, these are probably not for you.  But luckily, that's not a problem for anyone who celebrated Christmas here!  An easy side for a festive meal!