I received this from Gail. Thanks Gail for the recipe link. The original recipe from Cooks Illustrated can be found by Clicking Here. I think, though, that I would change the Sherry to the Cavalos (Apple Brandy) and the onions to 2 large Red Onions, 2 large Shallot cloves and 2 large Sweet Onions. I would also use Chicken Stock and Beef Stock and not broths. Cheers!
Best French Onion Soup
Serves 6. Published January 1, 2008. From Cook’s Illustrated.
Sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, will make this recipe overly sweet. (I don’t quite agree with this. That’s what I like about Onion Soup – the sweet versus the tang of the onion.) Be patient when caramelizing the onions in step 2; the entire process takes 45 to 60 minutes. Use broiler-safe crocks and keep the rim of the bowls 4 to 5 inches from the heating element to obtain a proper gratinée of melted, bubbly cheese. If using ordinary soup bowls, sprinkle the toasted bread slices with Gruyère and return them to the broiler until the cheese melts, then float them on top of the soup. We prefer Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth and Pacific Beef Broth. (Sorry, but again beef or chicken stocks give a much more intense flavor than the broths.) For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before proceeding with the recipe.
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.
Golden Onions Without the Fuss Forget constant stirring on the stovetop. Cooking onions in the oven takes time but requires little attention.
1. RAW: The raw onions nearly fit in a large Dutch oven.
2. AFTER 1 HOUR IN OVEN : The onions are starting to wilt and release moisture.
3. AFTER 2 1/2 HOURS IN OVEN : The onions are golden, wilted, and significantly reduced in volume.
Easter is still a week away, but when you change your “traditional” dinner from lamb to say ….. well, ham, you have to make a trial run. And too, you have to have some idea of how you are going to prepare it. We decided not to go again, the “traditional” way of pineapple. Instead, we are going to use Elderberry Sauce for the coating and blending with it, clove. And about 2 pints or so of water in the pan to collect those drippings. Save those drippings. And bake with the ham some Sweet Potato or Yam. The photo here is after 1 hour at 375 degrees F. Time to re-bast with the elderberry. Don’t be afraid to let it drip into the water, which is now full of ham juice. Don’t let
this liquid dry up. It’ll make an awesome reduced sauce. After about 2 hours at 375 degrees F, the ham should be done. Remove it from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes. Bast one more time while still hot. Let the elderberry sauce drip into the pan. Chill the pan drippings and skim off the fat. Make a roux and remove from the pan and set aside. Pour the drippings into the pan. Reduce by about 1/2. Add the roux and thicken. Plate the meal with sauteed asparagus and the potato. You can either slice the potatoes or gently “mash” them, leaving some chunks. Place some of the Ham Elderberry Reduction on the potatoes and ham. Serve with a 2008 Tualatin Estate Frizzante Muscat or a good Asti. Cheers!
Boise Foodie Guild 