FRENCH ONION SOUP

We were all craving something that was decidedly NOT poultry related this evening. An awesome glean of artisan bread from neighbors spawned the idea of French Onion Soup.  Lots of iterations out there - but decided to go with a classic recipe from Julia Child.

One of the big variables between recipes seems to be the amount of alcohol included.   BH & G only uses a few tablespoons.  Ina Garten 2 1/2 cups.  Hmmm.   I settled on Julia's recipe - she uses 2 cups.  The finished product is nicely balanced, and in no way did any of us think there was too much wine.   Next time, I'll go with Ina.


I used Swiss Gruyere cheese for a treat, but the recipe only calls for generic Swiss.   It simmers for a full 90 minutes - but the flavors really mellow over that time.

Serves 6

 2 tablespoons butter shopping list

1/4 cup olive oil

3 lbs onions, halved and sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, minced very fine

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 cups dry white wine

6 cups beef stock or chicken stock (the beef will make a darker, more robust soup)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 ovenproof soup bowls

12 toasted slices of French baguettes, 1/2 inch thick

2 cups swiss cheese, grated

3 teaspoons parmesan cheese, grated

In a large saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and oil together.  Add the onions, garlic, and sugar.   Saute until slightly colored, stirring occasionally (don't stir too much - you want them to brown), for 7 minutes.  Add the white wine, raise temperature to medium high, and bring to a boil.  Lower temperature back down to medium and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the stock, raise temperature to medium high and bring to a simmer.  Lower temperature to low and simmer *uncovered* for 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes).

At this point you can freeze the soup for reheating later (after thawing).  

To serve at this point, continue with steps: first, preheat your broiler.  Ladle the soup into the ovenproof soup bowls (6 of them).  Place two slices of toasted baguette onto the top of each soup bowl.  Sprinkle each serving with 1/3 cup of Swiss cheese, then 1/2 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese.  Place soup bowls onto a baking sheet and place in oven under preheated broiler.  Broil until the cheese melts (watch them carefully - depending on your broiler and how far the rack is from the heat, it can take anywhere to 45 to 90 seconds or so).  

Serve immediately.