French Onion Soup is a dish made famous in the USA by Julia Child in the 1960s--and this recipe is largely based on her original. It is a rich, flavorful blend of onions caramelized in butter and slow simmered in a rich beef broth and white wine. Finished with a splash of Cognac and topped with toasted croûtes and bubbling blend of Swiss and Parmesan cheese. It takes time to make this properly but don't be put off because the reward is well worth it.
Julia suggests that all you need to complete the meal is a bottle of red wine, perhaps a green salad, and fresh fruit. You may prepare all the elements for this ahead of time, but once the soup is assembled in its casserole dish, you should proceed with the recipe or the bread may sink to the bottom of the dish. (Note: You will need a chewy homemade type of bread; the light flimsy kind usually disintegrates in the soup.)
Many French Onion Soup recipes call for croutons (small cubes of toasted or fried bread). But we're using croûtes (larger pieces of bread, used to accompany soups, to absorb cooking juices from meat, or to float on top of soups such as this one).
Ingredients
Method
Melt the butter with the oil in 3.5 litre oven-proof saucepan or casserole dish; add the sliced onions and stir up to coat with the butter. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and translucent. Then uncover the pan, raise heat to moderately high, and stir in the salt and sugar. (Sugar, by caramelizing, helps onions to brown.) Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring very frequently, until onions have turned an even deep golden brown.
Then lower heat to moderate, stir in the flour, and add a bit more butter if flour does not absorb into a paste with the onions. Cook slowly, stirring continually, for about 2 minutes to brown the flour lightly. Remove from heat.
Pour in about a cup of the hot beef stock, stirring with a wire whip to blend flour and stock. Add the rest of the stock and the wine, bay leaf, and sage, and bring to the simmer. Simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, drizzle/spray the bread slices with oil or butter, and arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Place in middle level of a preheated 160degC oven for 15 minutes until beginning to brown lightly; turn and brown lightly for another 15 minutes on the other side. These are called croûtes.
Pour the hot soup into a serving casserole or baking dish. Pour in the optional cognac, the grated onion, and shaved Swiss cheese into the soup. Place a closely packed layer of croûtes over the top of the soup and spread on the grated cheese, covering the croûtes completely. Sprinkle a tablespoon of oil or butter over the cheese, and set the soup in the middle level of a preheated 180degC oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until soup is bubbling slowly and cheese has melted.
Brown the cheese lightly under a very hot grille. Pass any remaining croûtes in a bread tray along with the soup.
French Onion Soup
Serves: 6 People
Prepare Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 2 hrs
Calories: -
Difficulty:
Moderate
French Onion Soup is a dish made famous in the USA by Julia Child in the 1960s--and this recipe is largely based on her original. It is a rich, flavorful blend of onions caramelized in butter and slow simmered in a rich beef broth and white wine. Finished with a splash of Cognac and topped with toasted croûtes and bubbling blend of Swiss and Parmesan cheese. It takes time to make this properly but don't be put off because the reward is well worth it.
Julia suggests that all you need to complete the meal is a bottle of red wine, perhaps a green salad, and fresh fruit. You may prepare all the elements for this ahead of time, but once the soup is assembled in its casserole dish, you should proceed with the recipe or the bread may sink to the bottom of the dish. (Note: You will need a chewy homemade type of bread; the light flimsy kind usually disintegrates in the soup.)
Many French Onion Soup recipes call for croutons (small cubes of toasted or fried bread). But we're using croûtes (larger pieces of bread, used to accompany soups, to absorb cooking juices from meat, or to float on top of soups such as this one).
Ingredients
Method
Melt the butter with the oil in 3.5 litre oven-proof saucepan or casserole dish; add the sliced onions and stir up to coat with the butter. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and translucent. Then uncover the pan, raise heat to moderately high, and stir in the salt and sugar. (Sugar, by caramelizing, helps onions to brown.) Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring very frequently, until onions have turned an even deep golden brown.
Then lower heat to moderate, stir in the flour, and add a bit more butter if flour does not absorb into a paste with the onions. Cook slowly, stirring continually, for about 2 minutes to brown the flour lightly. Remove from heat.
Pour in about a cup of the hot beef stock, stirring with a wire whip to blend flour and stock. Add the rest of the stock and the wine, bay leaf, and sage, and bring to the simmer. Simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, drizzle/spray the bread slices with oil or butter, and arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Place in middle level of a preheated 160degC oven for 15 minutes until beginning to brown lightly; turn and brown lightly for another 15 minutes on the other side. These are called croûtes.
Pour the hot soup into a serving casserole or baking dish. Pour in the optional cognac, the grated onion, and shaved Swiss cheese into the soup. Place a closely packed layer of croûtes over the top of the soup and spread on the grated cheese, covering the croûtes completely. Sprinkle a tablespoon of oil or butter over the cheese, and set the soup in the middle level of a preheated 180degC oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until soup is bubbling slowly and cheese has melted.
Brown the cheese lightly under a very hot grille. Pass any remaining croûtes in a bread tray along with the soup.
