Soup -- French Onion Soup (modified from Cook's Illustrated)
Submitted by dvdlee on August 27, 2004 at 9:54 am

DESCRIPTION
Soup -- French Onion Soup (modified from Cook's Illustrated)

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & Requests

INSTRUCTIONS
I love French Onion Soup!!! One of the best soups ever created! But beware.... there are lots of evil soups out there waiting to destroy your anticipation with watery broth, flavorless onion, salt levels that would kill a fish or so salt-free that your Dr. approves of you eating it! Good onion soup is hard to find -- even in France!

To begin: start by making your own beef broth (recipe found elsewhere in my recipes posted on the Circle.) You SHOULD make your chicken stock from scratch -- but after do the beef -- I'm to tired and just open a asceptic package of low-sodium chicken (the boxes taste much better than the broth in cans).

The 2nd major area is: selecting the proper onion...

CI says, "We tried Vidalia, famous for their sweetness and mildness, and found them bland and boring once cooked for soup. White onions were overly sweet, yellow onions only mildly flavorful. Red onions ranked supreme: sweet but not cloying, with a subtle complexity and nuance.

Yet red onions were not perfect. They made us cry more when slicing them, and they discolored, turning the soup an unappetizing bluish gray.

The color problem was a clear question of food chemistry. The answer, according to food scientist Shirley Corriher, author of Cookwise (Morrow, 1997), was to add some acid--lemon juice or vinegar--at the end of cooking and then watch the soup regain its deep reddish brown color. We tried it, with balsamic vinegar, and it worked--a scientific wonder. The balsamic vinegar also brightened the flavor of the soup." (end CI)

I fully agree on the red onion use (but I've used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow and its been OK -- mainly a question of $ or not wanting to go back to the store AGAIN!). And they tear production capacity IS greater.

To slice the onions, I use a V-Slicer (not a mandoline -- I prefer the V-slicer for this task, but you could use that or a knife.) the key thing is to produce equally thin slices consistently for onion after onion.

When slicing, I wear contacts and have a taper (or 2) burning around the work area. (The flame is supposed to help control the gas released by the cut onions.) It helps, but occasional breaks, and a retreat to a sink for an eye wash occurs a couple of times in the process.

And now to the Recipe:
(serves around 6)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 medium red onions (about 3 to 3 & 1/2 pounds), sliced thin
Salt
4 & 1/2 to 5 cups beef broth
1 1/2 to 2 cups low-sodium canned chicken broth
1/3 cup dry red wine
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar***
Ground black pepper
__________________

1 baguette, cut on the bias into 3/4 -inch slices (2 slices per serving)
4 1/2 ounces Swiss cheese, sliced 1/16-inch thick
3 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
(You can substitute a rich Fontina for the Swiss, or Parmason or Reggiano for the Asiago)

***can be omitted if desired. I've never had a color problem since this recipe has a lot of beef (if a lot of chicken stock is used the broth can turn a bad color -- the acid in the vineger counters this effect)

1. Melt butter in large soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add sliced onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to coat onions thoroughly with butter. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes and reduce heat slightly. Contine to cool on medium low until onions are reduced and syrupy and inside of pot is coated with very deep brown crust, 35 to 40 minutes.

Add the red wine to the pan and scrape up all of the brown bits from the carmalization (you can keep the onions in for this process or remove them - whatever you prefer.)

Add the chicken and beef broths, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf, and bring to simmer. Simmer to blend flavors, about 30 minutes to 2 hours, and discard herbs. Stir in balsamic vinegar (if desired) and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

(Can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated in airtight container up to 2 days; return to simmer before finishing soup with croutons and cheese).

2. To serve, adjust oven rack to upper middle position; heat broiler. Set serving bowls on baking sheet. Take cut bread and make sure two baguette slices will fit evenly into the top of the bowl -- trim to fit as needed. Remove bread and fill each bowl with about 1 1/2 cups soup. Top with Swiss cheese slices, laying them in a single layer, if possible. Sprinkle each bowl with about 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese and broil until well browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

With a side salad and good french bread and a bottle of wine you have a complete meal -- and an impressive one.

The one caution is a safety one: use a sturdy cookie sheet or sheet pan to hold the soup bowls. Transfer pan very carefully with two hands. Have a place pre-cleared on your counter where you can place the bowls. Serve with a plate underneath the bowl and a napkin or folded paper towel under the bowl to give traction between the two ceramics.

I persoanlly don't like the 'french onion soup bowl with a handle you see in the stores. Too small, don't like the handle. I want a big bowl! So I use the bowls I serve chili in.