French Onion Soup

I am a soup person and love all sorts.  My once-upon-a-time ambition was to open a soup bar. Why a soup bar, you ask?  Well, I chose soup because it is such a versatile thing (at least for me):

• It is comfort food when it rains or is cold outside.  There’s even cold soup for hot days, although I have not yet mastered drinking cold soup. 
• It is medicinal.  I'm sure everyone is familiar with the therapeutic value of chicken soup.
• It is also good for curbing your appetite if you are dieting.  Just stay away from heavy, creamy soup or substitute cream with low fat milk.

Sadly, I have not embarked on my soup bar, as I find myself unable to be free of the trappings of the corporate world.  Being an accountant by profession, I also have this trait of being overly calculative, analytical and prudent.  Definitely not a risk taker.

I had some leftover pork stock sitting in my freezer.  I scratched my head trying to figure out what to do with them, as I don’t think I have come across any recipe (Western) which calls for them.  It was then I thought of substituting the beef broth for pork in the French Onion Soup.

The result ?  Pork broth works equally as well, the soup had such an incredible depth of flavour.

Although I have provided the recipe for the soup, please note that unlike cakes and bread, you don't have to follow the recipe with mechanical accuracy.  Stay guided by your taste and memory of the soup.

You will need:

Soup:

700 g large white onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

59 g butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2  tsp granulated sugar

1.2 l beef stock (I used pork)

275 ml dry white wine

2 tbsp Cognac (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Croutons:

French baguette, cut into 1 inch diagonal slices

1 tbsp olive oil

1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Topping:

Croutons, as above

Adequate Gruyère cheese, grated

Preparation:

First make the croutons – begin by drizzling the olive oil on to a baking sheet, add the crushed garlic and then, using your hands, spread the oil and garlic all over the baking sheet. Now place the bread slices on top of the oil, then turn over each one so that both sides have been lightly coated with the oil.

Bake them in a preheated oven at 180 deg Celsius for 20-25 minutes till crispy and crunchy.

To cook soup, place the saucepan or casserole on a high heat and melt the oil and butter together. When this is very hot, add the onions, garlic and sugar, and keep turning them from time to time until the edges of the onions have turned dark. Then reduce the heat to its lowest setting and leave the onions to carry on cooking very slowly for about 30 minutes, by which time the base of the pan will be covered with a rich, nut brown, caramelised film. After that, pour in the stock and white wine, season, then stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the base of the pan well.

As soon as it all comes up to simmering point, turn down the heat to its lowest setting, then leave it to cook very gently, without a lid, for about 1 hour.

All this can be done in advance but, when you're ready to serve the soup, bring it back up to simmering point, taste to check for seasoning.  Add in the Cognac, if you wish. Warm the soup bowls in a low oven and pre-heat the grill to its highest setting. Then ladle in the hot soup and top with the croutons, allowing them to float on the top of the soup. Now sprinkle the grated Gruyère thickly over the croutons and place the whole lot under the grill until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve immediately – and don't forget to warn your guests that everything is very hot!

(Recipe source: Delia Smith)

 P/S:  It was during this recipe attempt, I discovered that I have extreme low threshold with the onions.  I was already crying like a baby after onion #2 :P.