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Recipes => Recipes => Appetizers => Topic started by: CDN Smoker on January 25, 2014, 09:05:30 PM

Title: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: CDN Smoker on January 25, 2014, 09:05:30 PM
Wife and I both love French Onion Soup and she wanted some. Said I would make for her but it would have to be my way. Got to stand up for yourself someday ::)

Recipe taken from Cook's Illustrated, I really like their site.

INGREDIENTS

Soup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see illustration below)
Table salt
2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
1/2 cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
2 cups beef broth (see note)
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepper
Cheese Croutons
1 small baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the soup: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.

2. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.) Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

4. For the croutons: While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

5. To serve: Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Ok here is my story,

Onions, lots of them
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zps4c95f3e7.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zps4c95f3e7.jpg.html)

Next time I will fill the pot
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zpsd21004db.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zpsd21004db.jpg.html)

Into the oven
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zpsad38ca7c.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zpsad38ca7c.jpg.html)

After 1hr
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zps45de156c.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zps45de156c.jpg.html)

After 2hrs
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zps088a525a.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zps088a525a.jpg.html)

Out of the oven and keep caramelizing the onions
 (http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zps0b4779f0.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zps0b4779f0.jpg.html)

Adding about 1/4 water and scraping the goodness off the bottom
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zps5fc4dc5d.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zps5fc4dc5d.jpg.html)

All done, good I was getting tired ???
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zpse5f5f578.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zpse5f5f578.jpg.html)

Added liquids and thyme and bay leaf, let simmer
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zpse40ece95.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zpse40ece95.jpg.html)

Cooled and left over night

Into bowels with cheese and back into the oven
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zps302dc10f.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zps302dc10f.jpg.html)

Done, let's eat
(http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x412/lmh8/image_zpsf8c067dd.jpg) (http://s1180.photobucket.com/user/lmh8/media/image_zpsf8c067dd.jpg.html)

Now for the judge, she was looking over my shoulder lots as she hates flavour, lol. She didn't even speak and that bowel was gone fast.

It's a keeper, thanks for viewing ;D


Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: Keymaster on January 25, 2014, 09:14:17 PM
Excellent job Drew!!!
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: Saber 4 on January 25, 2014, 09:53:14 PM
That looks awesome and I don't even like soup very much, except for the occasional bowl of FO
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: HighOnSmoke on January 25, 2014, 09:56:37 PM
That is some delicious looking soup! Bookmarked!
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: muebe on January 25, 2014, 10:05:30 PM
Looks really good!

I love French onion soup ;)
Title: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: Pappymn on January 26, 2014, 12:00:23 AM
One of my favorite soups. And I have had it many places. The Metropolitan Grill is my favorite thud far. 

Looks excellent sir!
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: pz on January 26, 2014, 12:42:18 AM
Wow, that looks good!
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: Hank858SD on January 26, 2014, 02:47:24 AM
Wife uses the same site and recipe.   Takes a while to get done but is very flavorful. Family loves that soup and is very close to our favorite from Mimi's Cafe.   

 Thanks for sharing ! ,
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: TentHunteR on January 26, 2014, 07:33:23 AM
One of my favorite soups, and man does that look nice and rich.
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: RAD on January 26, 2014, 07:53:50 AM
Soup looks great. You said "Cooled and left over night". Did you leave it on the stove top overnight?
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: ACW3 on January 26, 2014, 08:13:13 AM
My wife's favorite soup.  Specially when it is cold out.  I haven't made it in years.  Usually easier to go out and get some.  Since the "cold" has me in the house more and more lately, it may be time to give it a go.  Recipe bookmarked.

Art
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: CDN Smoker on January 26, 2014, 08:59:22 AM
Soup looks great. You said "Cooled and left over night". Did you leave it on the stove top overnight?

Just put into sealed plastic containers. When we have this it's like a meal and we already had other plans.
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: hikerman on January 26, 2014, 09:42:45 AM
That is a tasty looking soup! Nice job Drew!  :P
Title: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: mikecorn.1 on January 26, 2014, 09:55:23 AM
Looks great!


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Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: Pam Gould on January 26, 2014, 10:04:05 AM
Perfect..gotta make some now..am locked in house..it's way too cold..tiem to make soup..good thing I got onions the other day. Thanks for the reminder.  Gonna make fresh croutons too.  Pam  .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: sliding_billy on January 26, 2014, 11:45:24 AM
One of my favorites.  Yours looks delicious.
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: Wing Commander on January 26, 2014, 12:03:30 PM
I love onion soup. Yours looks great.
Title: Re: Recipe - Best French Onion Soup
Post by: sparky on January 26, 2014, 12:27:17 PM
Looks really good!

I love French onion soup ;)

ya, what muebe said.   8)