Sunday, July 3, 2011

French Onion Soup


There are some meals you can whip up in 30 minutes after work, there are others that require many hours of long slow cooking - the kind of meal that is just right for a cold Sunday in the middle of winter.  French Onion soup is one of those.  For a really great full taste, it requires hours of long slow cooking to really bring out the caramel flavours of the onions and develop that deep brown colour.

My recipe is pretty simple.  I slice (using a mandolin slicer - yes Dad, with the hand guard) a pot full of onion.  And I mean full, right to the brim of the pot.  I add a bit of butter and leave them cooking over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for hours until the onions are about a quarter the volume and a deep golden brown.  The key is to make sure you regularly scrape the bottom so it doesn't stick and burn.


2-3 hours later, it will smell fantastic and be a beautiful colour. Add a couple of tablespoons of plain flour and cook it off.  Throw in a few sprigs of thyme, ground pepper, beef stock and some water.


Simmer for an hour or so then - and this is key - serve topped with cheese croutons.  Perfect delicious winter comfort food for a Sunday afternoon.

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