French Onion Soup

 This recipe is one of the many reasons that I always trust Julia.  Whenever I'm looking for a recipe, if I see one by Julia, I know it will be good.  It might not always be the easiest version of what I want to make, but it will definitely turn out fabulous.  Luckily, this recipe couldn't be any easier.

Ever since going to France, I've been craving Onion Soup.  Going to France really opened my eyes up to why French cooking is the heart of so many techniques and recipes.  They really know what they're doing when it comes to food.  I never used to think that Onion Soup was anything to jump up and down about, but for such a simple soup, its fantastic. 

This soup is so easy that I was able to make enchiladas to freeze for the week at the same time.  And it makes enough for multiple meals.  Being a poor college student, I didn't make it with white wine, vermouth, or cognac.  I also used mozzarella for my cheese on top as well as an Italian bread from Wegmans. 

Gorgeous Onion Soup that I had at the Angelina restaurant in Versailles:

First just melt your butter and oil together. Add all your onions and sweat them out while covered.

At this point they should look translucent and smell delicious:

  

I uncovered it at this point and cranked up the heat to get some color on my onions.  There was a lot of liquid from sweating the onions out, don't worry though, you'll cook it off.

Don't get wimpy with your coloring. My first instinct when I start to see color on something is to either yank it off the stove in a panic or turn the heat down a ton.  Don't do this.  You want brown, caramelized onions for this soup, trust me, it will taste delicious.  So you want to pass this point:

  

And get to at least this:

I actually browned mine a little bit more to get some more color. I had to stop it before I really wanted to because I was afraid of setting off the fire alarm (the joys of living in a college dorm).

After you get them nicely caramelized and brown (can't stress it enough), add some flour to get some roux action going.  Cook for a few minutes then add the stock and simmer for a bit longer.

My bowl was way too big so I didn't get the classic "French Onion Soup" look that I loved in France:   

I saw this Corningware Soup Mug at Wegmans that would have been the perfect size but didn't want to waste the money on it:

One day I'll have a set of these:

Onion Soup [Soupe à l’Oignon]

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 1/2 pounds (680 grams or 24 ounces or about 5 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions

3 tablespoons (42 grams or 1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt, plus additional to taste

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) granulated sugar (helps the onions to brown)

3 tablespoons (24 grams or 7/8 ounce) all-purpose flour

2 quarts (8 cups or 1.9 liters) beef or other brown stock*

1/2 cup (118 ml) dry white wine or dry white vermouth

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons (45 ml) cognac or brandy (optional)

To finish [Gratinée] (Optional)

1 tablespoon grated raw onion

1 to 2 cups (to taste) grated Swiss (I often use Gruyere) or a mixture of Swiss and Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon butter, melted

12 to 16 1-inch thick rounds French bread, toasted until hard

Melt the butter and oil together in the bottom of a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to real low and let them slowly steep for 15 minutes. They don’t need your attention; you can even go check your email.

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes until they have turned an even, deep golden brown. Don’t skimp on this step, as it will build the complex and intense flavor base that will carry the rest of the soup. Plus, from here on out, it will be a cinch.

After the onions are fully caramelized, sprinkle them with flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the wine in full, then stock, a little at a time, stirring between additions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 more minutes, skimming if needed. Correct seasonings if needed but go easy on the salt as the cheese will add a bit more saltiness and I often accidentally overdo it. Stir in the cognac, if using. I think you should.

Set aside until needed. I find that homemade onion soup is so deeply fragrant and flavor-rich that it can stand alone, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy the graitinéed top once in a while. Here’s how to pull it off:

Preheat oven to 325. Arrange six ovenproof soup bowls or crocks on a large, foil-lined baking sheet. Bring the soup back to a boil and divide among six bowls. To each bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon grated raw onion and a tablespoon of grated cheese. Stir to combine. Dab your croutons with a tiny bit of butter and float a few on top of your soup bowls, attempting to cover it. Mound grated cheese on top of it; how much you use will be up to you. 

Bake soups on tray for 20 minutes, then preheat broiler. Finish for a minute or two under the broiler to brown the top lightly. Grab pot holders, and serve immediately.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen