This week I kicked off my project Mastering the Art of French Cooking (MAFC). I'm starting with the first chapter and making one to three recipes from each chapter, depending on the length. The first chapter is titled Soup, so I picked my absolute favorite French soup, French Onion Soup, or Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée. MAFC reads like a guide, so I made some adaptations to the recipe. My goal for this project is to develop my french cooking techniques, my writing, my photography, and recipe development.
I started by caramelizing the onions. First, steam the onions in olive oil and butter over low heat for the first 15-20 minutes in a heavy bottom dutch oven, covered. Steaming the onions makes them soft, but not browned. Once the onions are soft, increase the heat to medium and removed the lid. Add kosher salt and brown sugar. The brown sugar will promote browning and make them quite sweet. This process takes about 30 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar about five minutes before the onions are finished cooking. The balsamic vinegar creates rich color and more sweetness.
Once the onions are finished caramelizing, add flour to create a roux. Cook the onions and flour for three minutes. The mixture is very thick and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot, stir constantly. Slowly add beef stock, about half a cup at a time at first, allowing the liquid to absorb. Once all the beef stock is added, add the white wine, thyme bundle, and bay leaf. Bring to a full boil, lower heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, coat the cubed baguette in olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toast in the oven until the bread is completely dried out, but not brown, about 30 minutes. Shake the pan a few times during cooking.
Once the soup has finished cooking, adjust the seasoning, remove the thyme bundle and bay leaf. At this point, stir in one tablespoon of grated onion, cognac, and two ounces of Comté cheese. A note about Comté cheese, I found it at Trader Joe's; they recommended it for French Onion Soup. You can also use Swiss Cheese or Gruyere. When you add the cheese, it will thicken the soup slightly.
Ladle approximately 12 ounces of the soup into ovenproof bowls, top with the bread cubes, and roughly an ounce of Comté cheese. Then place in the oven on a sheet pan and broil for 5'ish minutes, maybe a few more until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and the bread cubes are beginning to brown.
Remove the soup from the oven and top with fresh chives. Bon appetit!
I love this soup so much. It has it all going on. The bread that is submerged in the soup is soft, the bread that is out of the soup is crunchy. The onions are sweet; the broth is salty and savory, and the chives add freshness. It is really really good.
Next week I'll be making Sauce Morney, which I'll use to make Mac and Cheese.