for a long time, i think french onion soup was sadly
maligned. swept into the bin of outdated
80’s dinner party food, it moped in the corner with shrimp cocktail; it braided
the hair of raspberry vinaigrette as she wept softly into her duran duran
hankie; it held sun-dried tomato’s hand and told her not to blame herself. but somewhere along the way, french onion
soup magically managed to find redemption.
now less-outdated, and more considered a classic, french onion is
suddenly the johnny depp of soups: it somehow managed to not change a jot in 30
years, and damn it still looks tasty.
having a batch of homemade soup in the fridge is a must for
me in these chilly, blustery months.
whether it’s for a quick lunch or an easy supper, there’s not a more
warming winter meal to be found, for both soul and body. and personally speaking, there isn’t much i
enjoy more than being able to bring healing food to a sick pal, a hardworking
matey, or just a friend in need (or a friend indeed). for generations we had whole villages
(literally) of people helping us in raising our kids, in living our lives, in
any of our times of need. these days too
many of us find ourselves on an island.
and i truly believe johnny depp--
i mean, john donne, was right: no man is an island! dammit, i’m bringing the village back. so who wants some french onion soup?
french onion soup (adapted from michael ruhlman’s “twenty”)
unlike most incarnations of this recipe, ruhlman insists that
you not use stock for this soup, rather that the onions with their slow
caramelization provide all the flavour you need. thusly, this is an exceptionally thrifty
soup. (i’d say cheap, but i feel that
undermines the recipe, as if i were likening it to lindsey lohan. which, dear french onion soup, i would never
do. you're better than that.) it’s classy rather than cheap, and entirely friendly to your wallet. sure enough, the only thing this soup shall
set you back is time, but even that is mostly unattended.
2 tbs butter
6 large (or 8 medium) onions
salt & freshly-ground black pepper
1/3 cup sherry
splash of red wine vinegar
splash of red wine
to serve:
slices of baguette
grated gruyere
thinly slice the onions.
if you are like me, and have no CIA-trained knife skills (either the
culinary institute OR the government agency), i implore you to use a mandolin. they’re remarkably affordable, and truly save
your sanity (much cheaper than therapy).
this pile of onions took about 3 minutes with the dear tool. it’s a life-saver.
 |
| does anyone else hear the theme music to "close encounters" ...? |
use a large pot as you have a LOT of sliced onions
here. enameled cast iron dutch oven
works marvelously. place the pot over medium heat and melt the butter. add the onions, toss to coat with melted
butter, and add 2 teaspoons of salt.
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| it's not a small amount of onions... |
cover and cook until the onions have softened and started to steam.
 |
| getting there... |
remove lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for (wait for it) 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally, until they have cooked down
into a glorious tumbling amber mess of soft caramelized goodness.
 |
| boomba! |
add 6-7 cups of water (depending on how thick you like the
soup), raise heat to high until it reaches a simmer, then reduce back to
low. add the sherry, the vinegar and the
wine. season with salt and pepper as
needed.
when you’re ready to serve, turn on your broiler, then place
your baguette slices in your bowl of soup so they get nice and soft. sprinkle some grated gruyere on top, then
place your bowl in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and a little
browned.
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| mmmm...bubbly |
so reacquaint yourselves with an old favourite. drop some off to a member of your village, and keep some handy in your fridge for quick and easy meals throughout the week. the village will thank you...
