(no subject)

[madbaker]

Our home net connection has been sporadic the last few days. I called tech support today and after some virtual entrails-reading, the tech determined that our modem was probably on the fritz.
However, our warranty is good for another ten days. Score.

This week's Resolution Recipe: Fronch Onion Soup.
"Do not be tempted to use stock! It will detract from the economy of the dish and become too heavy and cloying."

1 Tbsp butter
7 lbs Spanish onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
6 slices bread
1/3 cup sherry
red wine vinegar
1/2 lb Gruyere, grated

Place a very large (7.5 quart) pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onions, sprinkle with 2 tsp salt, cover, and cook until the onions have heated through and started to steam. Uncover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally. Season with several grinds of pepper.

Toast the bread lightly to dry it out.

When the onions have completely cooked down, the water has cooked off, and the onions have turned amber - this will take several hours - add 6 cups water. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Add the sherry and salt and pepper as desired. Add a splash of vinegar and maybe red wine for more depth.

Portion the soup into ovenproof bowls, float the bread on top, cover with cheese, and broil until the cheese is melted and browned. Serve immediately.

What worked: This tasted like food Fronch restaurant onion soup. Apparently the water vs. stock thing really works. Slicing the onions became much, much easier halfway through when I realized I could use the fud processor.

What didn't: I should have made a half batch. I cooked the onions for 3 hours, which did not completely get rid of the onion water - so I only added 4 cups water. Another 1 1/2 hours of slow cooking probably would have intensified the flavor, although it was good as was.

Will I make it again? We still have lots to go through, but this is the recipe I'll use when I want to make more.

What I'm reading: Felix Gilman, Thunderer

Comments

OK.

[learnteach.livejournal.com]

I'll give this version a try. Food processor!

[vittoriosa.livejournal.com]

i think alton brown's recipe does the onions in a crockpot... takes many hours, but you don't need to pay attention to them during the cooking time.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Did you taste it before adding the sherry and vinegar? Would that part be worth trying for those of us who can not and will not ever eat thins containing wine or vinegar?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hunh. I've always used beef stock (the Child/Bertholle/Beck recipe from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"), and I've never found it heavy or cloying. Might try this out of interest, but... Well, y'know. I like beef stock. I like making it, I like the flavour, I like the soup.

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

The vinegar helped cut the roasted-onion sweetness a bit and added some depth (as did the sherry, I assume).
The alcohol cooks off and if you're allergic to 1 tsp vinegar in 12 cups soup, well... don't do it.

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

I like beef stock too. I equate this to the "chocolate mousse with water instead of cream" recipe - the fat in the cream binds up chocolate flavor so you get a more intense chocolate using water.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Ah - okay, that makes sense to me (at least in terms of the chocolate). Maybe I will try this, then... Thanks!