Recipes For 2004

French Onion Soup

Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 quarts hot beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoons sage
Salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 5 – 6 cups)

Melt butter with oil in heavy 4-quart pot. Add sliced onions and stir up to coat with the butter. Cover the pot and cook over moderately low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and translucent. Uncover pan, raise heat to moderately high, and stir in salt and sugar. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently; until onions have turned an even deep golden brown (do not burn.)

Lower heat to moderate, stir in flour and add a bit more butter if flour does not absorb into a paste with the onions. Cook slowly, stirring continually, for about 2 minutes to brown the flour lightly. Remove from heat.

Pour 1 cup of hot broth into onion mixture, stirring with a wire whisk to blend flour and broth. Add the rest of the broth, wine, bay leaf, and sage, and bring to simmer. Simmer slowly for 30-40 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper. If not serving immediately, cool, uncovered, then cover and refrigerate.

Croutes

French bread
Olive oil or melted butter
2 ounce sliced Swiss cheese
1-1/2 cups grated Swiss and Parmesan cheese, mixed

Pre-heat oven to 325

Cut bread into 1 inch slices, brush lightly with oil or butter, and arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Place in middle of pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes until beginning to brown lightly; turn and brown lightly for 15-20 minutes on the other side.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour hot soup into 6-8 ovenproof bowls. Sliver the sliced Swiss and distribute on top of each soup bowl. Place a closely packed layer of browned French bread (croutes) over the top of the soup and sprinkle on grated cheese mixture, covering croutes completely. Sprinkle a little oil or butter over the cheese and set soup in the middle of pre-heated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until soup is bubbling slowly and cheese has melted.

Heat broiler to hot; just before serving, run soup under hot broiler for a moment to brown the cheese lightly. Serve immediately.