K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
... or French Onion Soup
If you can make homemade stocks for this, or have some available, so much the better. I most recommend it. In a pinch, use canned low-sodium chicken broth from Swanson. Avoid canned beef stock. Instead, use Swanson's low-sodium beef stock that comes in aseptic packaging. It's better.
Makes about 6 servings, depending on bowl size.
3 tblsp unsalted butter
3 tblsp good olive oil
3 lbs yellow onions
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1/3 tsp dried)
2 medium bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups beef stock
white pepper
Just before serving:
2 slices baguette per bowl, toasted
1/3 cup (lightly packed) grated Emmentaler or other Swiss cheese per bowl, or a blend of that cheese and Gruyère
1 tsp freshly grated Parmegiano Reggiano or another quality parm
Halve, peel, then thinly slice the onions crosswise. Heat the butter and oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and stir well to coat. Sprinkle in the sugar, add the thyme and bay leaves, add a couple small pinches salt, stir, then cook, stirring from time to time, till the onions are deeply golden being careful that neither the onions nor the fond on the bottom of the pot burns. (Time varies depending on onions, thickness of the pot, actual heat from your burner. Mine usually take 1.25 hours or so.)
Run the garlic through a press, scrape the onions to the sides, then add the garlic to the center of the pot and cook, stirring it in the center of the pot, till very fragrant, about, 1 minute. Stir into the onions.
Add the wine to the pot and raise the heat to high. Scrape the bottom of the pot to dissolve any stuck on fond, and bring the wine to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
Add both stocks to the pot, raise the heat to bring to a boil again, then reduce to the medium-low and cook, uncovered, at a gentle simmer, for 1.25 hours. Adjust salt, if necessary. Add a litle white pepper. (At this point the soup can be cooled then fridged. Reheat till hot before continuing.)
Raise the rack under your broiler so that the bowls you'll be using will be about 3 inches below the element. Preheat the broiler.
Place the (ovenproof) bowls on a sheetpan then ladle the hot soup into the bowls, leaving a little space on top for the toast and cheese. Place the toast on top of the soup in each bowl, top with the Emmentaler (or Emmentaler-Gruyère blend) then sprinkle on the parm.
Carefully move the sheetpan to the broiler and broil - watching closely - for a few minutes, till the cheese is bubbly, fully melted, and lightly brown in spots. Carefully remove the sheetpan. Carefully serve immediately.
Just out of the oven:
Digging in:
If you can make homemade stocks for this, or have some available, so much the better. I most recommend it. In a pinch, use canned low-sodium chicken broth from Swanson. Avoid canned beef stock. Instead, use Swanson's low-sodium beef stock that comes in aseptic packaging. It's better.
Makes about 6 servings, depending on bowl size.
3 tblsp unsalted butter
3 tblsp good olive oil
3 lbs yellow onions
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1/3 tsp dried)
2 medium bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups beef stock
white pepper
Just before serving:
2 slices baguette per bowl, toasted
1/3 cup (lightly packed) grated Emmentaler or other Swiss cheese per bowl, or a blend of that cheese and Gruyère
1 tsp freshly grated Parmegiano Reggiano or another quality parm
Halve, peel, then thinly slice the onions crosswise. Heat the butter and oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and stir well to coat. Sprinkle in the sugar, add the thyme and bay leaves, add a couple small pinches salt, stir, then cook, stirring from time to time, till the onions are deeply golden being careful that neither the onions nor the fond on the bottom of the pot burns. (Time varies depending on onions, thickness of the pot, actual heat from your burner. Mine usually take 1.25 hours or so.)
Run the garlic through a press, scrape the onions to the sides, then add the garlic to the center of the pot and cook, stirring it in the center of the pot, till very fragrant, about, 1 minute. Stir into the onions.
Add the wine to the pot and raise the heat to high. Scrape the bottom of the pot to dissolve any stuck on fond, and bring the wine to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
Add both stocks to the pot, raise the heat to bring to a boil again, then reduce to the medium-low and cook, uncovered, at a gentle simmer, for 1.25 hours. Adjust salt, if necessary. Add a litle white pepper. (At this point the soup can be cooled then fridged. Reheat till hot before continuing.)
Raise the rack under your broiler so that the bowls you'll be using will be about 3 inches below the element. Preheat the broiler.
Place the (ovenproof) bowls on a sheetpan then ladle the hot soup into the bowls, leaving a little space on top for the toast and cheese. Place the toast on top of the soup in each bowl, top with the Emmentaler (or Emmentaler-Gruyère blend) then sprinkle on the parm.
Carefully move the sheetpan to the broiler and broil - watching closely - for a few minutes, till the cheese is bubbly, fully melted, and lightly brown in spots. Carefully remove the sheetpan. Carefully serve immediately.
Just out of the oven:
Digging in:
