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french onion soup

post #1 of 7
6/25/07 at 10:27pm
Thread Starter 
does any one have a recipie for french onion soup? please help
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post #2 of 7
6/26/07 at 4:23am
Yes, I lov mine. I can't give quantities but it's pretty easy I think?

I sautee thinly sliced onions and a couple of shallots in butter until caramellized. This takes about an hour or there abouts. Then I add, leeks, carrots and a tiny bit of celery and garlic and saute that very well. I deglaze my pan with sherry or else I use vermouth and add beef or chicken stock. Also you want to finely dice your carrots and celery so that it cooks away basically into the stock. I will also sometimes add additional onions that have been cooked down but not caramellized toward the end in order to have some body left. Often times, I cook this for so long that my onions and veggies all cook away and I'm left with a thick rich onion stock so I like to have extra onions for texture!

I add a bouquet of fresh herbs like thyme, bay leaf, sometimes a tiny bit of rosemary...etc and season with salt and pepper and let it cook to marry all the flavors and to let the stock reduce. Remove the bouquet prior to serving.

Hey I forgot to mention another fun thing to do is if you have the rind or last part of your parmigiano reggiano cheese hangin around, it's fun to drop that in the pot while it is cooking then fish it out at the end if there's any left! ;)

Once it's ready, I may finish it in a bowl with a touch of sherry and a crouton then broil gruyere cheese on top of it until it's done.
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post #3 of 7
6/26/07 at 6:00am
Hey, BlueZ ...

That sounds good ... you've posted some nice recipes lately.

Shel
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post #4 of 7
6/26/07 at 6:18am
Bluezebra that's a nice recipe!

Mine is much simpler but I'll give it anyway:

Caramelize in 1/2 cup of butter on low-medium 2 large sliced Spanish onions (yellow or valendia will do).

Have prepared 1-2 liter of simmering dark and rich beef broth (add some miso 1Tbsp/liter to make it richer).

Have ready some grated medium-old white cheddar (Monterayjack will do)

Toast one slice of crusty bread 2 inch thick (large baguette) let cool.

Assemble in a straight sided 3-4 inch high earthenware bowl (about 4 appetizer servings)
add onions, ladle broth, place crouton on top, add cheese and sprinkle pepper.
Broil until bubbly.

Luc
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post #5 of 7
6/26/07 at 8:40am
Here's mine:

In large heavy pot:

1/2 C Clarified Butter
7 C thinly sliced onion

Cook over medium heat until onion is starting to brown

Add:

2 cloves finely diced fresh garlic
2 tsp sugar

Cook over medium heat until onions are nicely browned

Deglaze with a 1/2 C nice burgundy

Continue cooking until burgundy evaporates

Add 1 TBSP Fresh finely chopped Thyme

Stir and continue cooking another minute

Add:

Enough brown stock to cover onions by 1-2 inches

Simmer 1 hour

Take 1/2 cup of onion soup and add to 2 egg yolks that have been whisked

Add back into pot and add 2-3 TBSP very good Cognac

S&P to taste

Serve plain;

or with crust of bread and top with Swiss imported Gruyere (or good mozzarella) and brown until broiler for individual servings.

doc
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post #6 of 7
6/26/07 at 9:43am
Hi Shel! Thanks a bunch! Guess you can tell I'm nuts about food huh? :blush: and you have also posted some very lovely dishes that I can't wait to try! Loved your fruit salad recipe too!!!

Luc and doc I think both of your recipes look beautiful! Luc I sometimes cheat when I'm in a time crunch and use the Swanson's Natural Goodness or the Organics Chicken Stock or beef stock for it too. It's great!

Delta I love adding cognac at the end too. What's really yummy is I make this greenpeppercorn chicken pate that also has cognac so sometimes I will serve the pate as a starter with all the trimmings then for the main couse, serve the onion soup and a salad and a crusty loaf of bread...mmmmm.
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post #7 of 7
6/26/07 at 2:26pm
Care for another version?
This recipe has been said to produce the best onion soup in the city in some people's minds. at a certain point you'll see why I just look at them and smile & say thank you.
We make 10 gal. @ a time so you do the math if you like it.

3 flats o bacon minced & partially rendered in bacon fat (don't brown it)
1 heaping cook spoon of garlic
carmelize the onions in batches (10 gal sliced)
about 2 T fresh thyme & small handfull bay leaf
Gallon white wine - let reduce
(Here's the kicker) 6oz each beef base & chicken base - Let reduce with the wine some
Fill with H2o and simmer 2 hours. Serve with crouton & swiss browned in salli.
Simple pimple & they come screaming back for more
If you make it at home by all means use fresh beef & chicken stock
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