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Soupe a l'Onion, Maison




Source of Recipe


"The French Chef Cookbook" (Ballantine, $14).


Recipe Introduction


"This turns onion soup into a hearty main course," she writes. "All you need to complete the meal is a bottle of red wine, perhaps a green salad and fresh fruit."



List of Ingredients




3 T. butter
1 T. olive oil or cooking oil
About 1 1/2 lb. or 5 to 6 C. thinly sliced yellow onions
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 T. flour
2 qt. hot beef bouillon (homemade or canned bouillon diluted with 2 C. water
1 C. red or white wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. sage
Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with French bread and grated Parmesan cheese, or bake with the cheese as follows:




1 loaf French bread
Olive oil or melted butter
Onion soup, brought to a simmer
1/4 C. cognac (optional)
1 peeled 2-inch raw onion
2 oz. Swiss cheese
1 1/2 C. grated Swiss and Parmesan cheese, mixed

Preheat oven to 325ºF.



Recipe



Melt the butter and the oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan or casserole; add the sliced onions and stir up to coat with the butter. Cover the pan and cook over moderately low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and translucent. Then uncover the pan, raise the heat to moderately high, and stir in the salt and sugar. (Sugar, by caramelizing, helps onions to brown.) Cook for
about 30 minutes, stirring 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 bouillon, stirring with a wire whip to blend flour and bouillon. Add the rest of the bouillon and the wine, bay and sage and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly for 30 to 40 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper, and the soup is done. If you are not serving immediately, let cool uncovered, then cover
and refrigerate.

Cut the bread into slices 1-inch thick, paint lightly with oil or butter and arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Place in the middle level of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until beginning to brown lightly; turn and brown lightly for 15 to 20 minutes on the other side. These are called "croutes."

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Pour the hot soup into a serving casserole or baking dish. Pour in the optional cognac, grate in the onion and shave the piece of cheese into fine slivers and strew over the soup. Place a closely packed layer of croutes over the top of the soup and spread on the grated cheese, covering the croutes completely. Sprinkle a tablespoon of oil or butter over the cheese and set the soup in the middle level of the
oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until soup is bubbling slowly and cheese has melted.

Meanwhile, heat your broiler to red hot. Just before serving, run the soup under the hot broiler for a moment to brown the cheese lightly.
Pass remaining croutes in a bread try along with the soup.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.