I remember as a kid going with my sister and my parents to this french bistro called Marcels in Dutchess County NY. We went often, like probably every other week. My families weakness (one of them) is eating out. We all love it! This was back in the day, pre kids menus, pre chicken nugget days that our kids seem to live on. So you had to order something off the menu or ask them to make you something a little special. Also, if you went to dinner with my parents it wasn't an in and out affair- it was going to take awhile! As a child you occupied yourself, looking under the table, taking many many trips to the bathroom, walking around in the bar etc. Anything until your parents finished their espresso and anniesette.
Alex (my sister) always ordered Garlic Green Beans and French Onion Soup, me- Steak au Poivre and bread. I remember having some of her soup everytime but the best part was the burnt gruyere around the edges of the crock and a spoonful of the onions... ahhhh bliss!
I decided recently to make French Onion Soup at home.... I even made the beef stock! If I had a skinny weird mustache I would twirl it or make some other gesture right now. I even went for the super slow caramelization of the onions- I usually have a habit of not being able to wait for my onions to caramelize so I adjust the heat as the cooking process moves along- I also add sugar and salt which really helps. After I cooked the onions till they were pretty much melting I deglazed with marsala, I have used sherry as well in the past. This just gives you another layer of flavor in the onions. Chardonnay works well too! Then I sprinkle in a few tablespoons of all purpose flour and stir it around till the flour taste cooks out- a few minutes. Then I start pouring in the stock and whisking the floured onion mixture. Once it is all incorporated I switch to a wooden spoon with a flat edge and make sure I get up all the brown bits on the bottom. I bring this to a boil and let it thicken.
At this moment in time I have one oven proof soup bowl (so sad I know). so I ladled in some soup with onions and added a slice or two of toasted baguette- then I added grated gruyere to the top and popped it into the oven, under the broiler. It didn't get as crispy browned as I like but this soup was really killer. It wasn't too salty and I ended up using it as a base for another soup for a client the next day. I would totally make this again- but seriously I need to get some bowls I can really blast in the oven!
The recipe goes a little like this:
Stock:
beef bones with some meat on them
couple of carrots peeled and cut into chunks
1 spanish onion chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
bay leaf
pepper salt
h2o
Soup:
4 spanish onions halved then sliced thin
butter/olive oil (couple of tablespoons)
wine of your choice to deglaze
fresh thyme leaves
dusting of flour
toasted or stale baguette slices
grated gruyere
*oven proof bowls!!!!
after making stock and straining start with the onions....
in a wide saute pan melt butter oil mix, add onion slices, fresh thyme leaves, sprinkle with s&p and a spoonful of sugar to hurry it along... cook, stirring pretty frequently until pretty golden brown. DONT LET IT BURN. once they are as dark as you think will work add the flour and stir for a few more minutes, deglaze with wine. Then start adding ladles of your stock and whisking around so you don't have lumps etc. Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Taste it at this point and see if you need more s&p or anything else really. Once it has the balance you like then ladle it into a bowl- add the bread slices and finish with the grated cheese. Broil this until brown and crispy around the edges.
At the point of checking your seasoning you can stop and cool the soup down to store as well- keep it sealed up in the fridge till you want it! Remember though to heat it through before you put it under the broiler.
Oh my sounds wonderful!
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