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Onion Soup French Style Gratinée

6/7/2012

 

Onion Soup French Style Gratinée

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Onion Soup French Style Gratinée a deliciously simple meal for mid winter
When my twitter friend, Mel, a.k.a. Piglet from The Adventures of Miss Piggy, tweeted that she was craving French onion soup, I smiled, as I had had a similar hankering all week and had bought onions from the greengrocer that day so I could make some for Peter.

Darren Templeman, chef/owner of Restaurant Atalier, famous for modern French cuisine, also saw the tweet, so it wasn't long before Piglet and 'the Boy' visited Atalier at Glebe to enjoy a very fine bowl of Darren's French onion soup. 'It was delicious and exactly what I had been craving', Mel said later. Nothing like having your hunger pangs satisfied!
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'When the onion has three skins, winter will be very cold' - French proverb
Popular across the continents, soupe à l'oignon gratinée as it is known in France, makes a delicious and hearty mid winter meal. In her book, Cooking and Travelling in South-West France, Stephanie Alexander says that the classic soup is served in many Paris bistros, and that she can't help wondering whether it was inspired by Le Tourin, a smooth but strong-tasting peasant soup made from a dozen or more cloves of garlic.

Having perused several cookbooks in my collection, I note there are only slight variations to the recipe for French onion soup. It's been on my repertoire for the last 30 years and I have developed my favourite way of preparing it. Simple, fuss free, and tasty. There are few ingredients, but they should be fresh, as always. 

Here's my take, together with some hints from talented chef, Darren Templeman. Piglet, this one is for you. Bon appétit.

ONION SOUP FRENCH STYLE GRATINÉE
5-6 brown onions, peeled, finely sliced
60g butter*
2 litres of beef stock* (or good quality vegetable stock!)
1 clove garlic, peeled, chopped
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
two small baguettes or bread rolls
100g Gruyère cheese, grated

Melt the butter in a stockpot or saucepan over a low heat. I use a Simmer Mat heat diffuser, so that the butter and onions won't catch. Add the sliced onions and cook gently for about half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the onion is deep brown. 

(Darren's tip number one is to make sure you caramelise the onions to a deep brown colour, without burning them, so you release the sweetness).

Sprinkle over the flour and stir briefly to mix it in with the onions (the cooked flour help to thicken the soup). Stir in the beef stock and chopped garlic. Then cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes longer until the onions are very tender.  

(Tip two from Darren is to use a good stock or take the time to prepare one ahead of schedule if possible). 

Meanwhile, as the soup is almost finished, slice the baguettes and place them onto a lined baking tray. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère and place under a grill to allow the cheese to melt slightly. Then, my tip is to add another generous sprinkle of the cheese and grill until the cheese has melted and is beautifully golden.

Now, taste the soup and season it with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and place the delicious morsels of bread and cheese on top. Serve immediately. This quantity will serve four.

Note: Darren also suggests adding an old fashioned bouquet garni tied with string, so you can remove the herbs altogether in one go. And, just before serving, add a good splash of madeira which will round off the soup beautifully. Sounds delicious and I may well amend my recipe. Thanks Darren!

* I used cultured butter and The Stock Merchant beef stock. If you prefer to use less stock, you can add a little water instead.
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C'est magnifique: Gruyère and baguette, twice grilled

The process in pictures...

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Le dîner est servi!

Do you shout out with a tweet (and then dine out) when you have a craving for a particular food? Do you enjoy French Onion Soup?
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Helene link
6/7/2012 04:53:38 am

I love French Onion Soup. I usually add white wine to the broth.

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:05:28 pm

Helene, that's a tasty addition. Thank you.

A Canadian Foodie link
6/7/2012 11:09:54 am

Both Vanja and I adore French Onion Soup and have had a few unforgettable bowls. When you have one that is done right, it is so good that it truly is unforgettable. The first we enjoyed together was in Paris one chilly summer evening, at Monte Martre. Divine. He had one there the year before, different location and I had one in Edmonton at a golf course one summer. They key for us, for all three, is the depth of the beef or veal stock used. It is not hard to caramelize the onions or to follow the rest of the recipe. Making a really tasty rich beef stock is not so easy. I have roasted bones, smoked us out of the house, and worked to do all I could to capture that depth of flavour. It is still a work in progress for me. Yours looks scrumptious!
:)
Valerie

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:06:46 pm

Oh Valerie, how delicious. I am envious that you have managed to experience this simple classic in the country of its origin. Indeed, a good beef stock is a key to the dish. I laughed when I read about you smoking the house out.

InTolerant Chef link
6/7/2012 12:17:09 pm

I hated this soup until it was on my exam as an apprentice and I made it with rich, sticky, thick home made beef stock. It was a revelation! That is truly the secret, now I love it!

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:07:14 pm

Bec, yummy! I can imagine how beautifully you made it.

Maureen link
6/7/2012 12:17:38 pm

I LOVE French onion soup. Thank you to you and to Darren and to Mel for coming up with the whole idea.

I'm definitely making this sometime this weekend.

I'm in soup-love!!

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:07:56 pm

Maureen, you are most welcome! Happy cooking.

Jane @ Shady Baker link
6/7/2012 03:02:04 pm

Good morning Lizzy, Miss Piggy has all the good food ideas! This looks delicious especially with that big chunk of cheesy bread. Your process in pictures looks so professional as always. Lizzy...should I join Twitter? I am seriously considering it :)

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:08:39 pm

Thanks Jane! Very kind. Yes, join Twitter. It's fun!

Eha
6/7/2012 06:12:16 pm

Have not made French onion soup for eons. You have presented it so appetizingly I want to reach for a bowl and the cold and gloomy day outside is demanding soulfood! Thank you!

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:08:59 pm

Eha, you are most welcome! Thank you for your kind words.

Christine (FoodWineTravel) link
6/7/2012 08:14:58 pm

I always love a good French Onion Soup and yours looks so warming and delicious.

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:09:21 pm

Thanks Christine. I love a good bowl of soup too! ; )

Johannaggg link
7/7/2012 02:59:03 pm

these look really good - and perfect for bastille day. I have rarely had french onion soup because it is hard to find veg versions but now you have got me craving a bowlful - I once tried it with roasted onions but wonder how different the fried onions would taste

Lizzy
7/7/2012 04:10:12 pm

Hello there. Yes, you can make a veg version, indeed as an afterthought I have amended the recipe to include using a vegetarian stock.

Miss Piggy link
7/7/2012 10:11:41 pm

Next time I crave French Onion Soup it looks like I should hop in the car and visit you. It looks great.

Lizzy
7/7/2012 10:37:03 pm

Thanks, lovely. How about Peter and I hop in the car and visit you, my friend... and you cook us some French Onion Soup?

Fiona @SRKitchen link
8/7/2012 01:00:37 pm

I absolutely love French onion soup, Lizzy. In fact, I haven't made it this winter so I'm now inspired by your post. I generally use a Delia Smith recipe, but I'm going to give this one a go next. :-)

Lizzy
9/7/2012 09:27:59 am

Hi Fiona... oh, I bet Delia's recipe is lovely. I must seek it out. Thank you for visiting. Enjoy your soup.

Laura (Tutti Dolci) link
8/7/2012 04:51:20 pm

French onion soup is one of my favorites! I love your simple yet delicious version.

Lizzy
9/7/2012 09:28:24 am

Thank you, Laura. The simple things in life are often the best. xox

ATasteOfMadness link
11/7/2012 04:19:11 am

I can't believe I have never tried french onion soup! This looks SO good!

Lizzy
13/7/2012 10:50:13 pm

Oh, you must cook some... please do let me know how you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by.

jameswillow link
21/8/2012 08:16:34 pm

nice blog

Gourmet Getaways link
7/3/2016 09:58:48 pm

When I was 16 and studying French at school I used to make onion soup all the time at home! It was my favourite recipe for a while, although the family got tired of it I would always love it, especially the way you have added the cheesy croutons, my favourite part.
Thanks so much for sharing
Julie
Gourmet Getaways

Anna link
18/4/2016 10:05:45 pm

Wow! It looks delicious! I love this food :)


Comments are closed.

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