ONE OF THE FUNNIEST moments in the film Julie & Julia is when Stanley Tucci (Paul Child) walks up the kitchen steps to find Meryl Streep (Julia) chopping and crying over a mountain of onions and having to leave the room. You won't need a mountain but you definitely will need a mild peak of them to make this onion soup.
During these trying times, self isolation and quarantine can only go so far. We're now on day 30 something with no light at the end of the tunne. and, while not wanting to be the bearer of bad tidings, people (friends, family, people we actually know) are dying. To top it all off, after a day or two of 60º+ weather, it's cold again, with high winds bringing a bite in the air.
And so, to avoid baking, we must turn to another type of comfort food: soup! And what better soup to make than the famed and storied Onion Soup au Gratin.
I've made this soup many times over the years and if it's to be done well it must be done from scratch. No cheating.
There is a rather lengthy entry on stocks which I wrote in 2013 that can be found here:
BASIC DARK BEEF STOCK
4-5 pounds beef bones (I save mine in the freezer from steaks, ribs, etc., and add fresh ones from the butcher)
1-2 beef shanks
One large onion, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
1 large leek (white part only) chopped, save the green part of the leek for later
4 stalks celery peeled and cut into large dice
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oven to 400º
Place
vegetables, bones and shank(s) on a lightly greased chef's roasting pan
and roast the bones and shanks for about 1-1/2-2 hours. Turn the
ingredients a few times during roasting. The shanks should be browned
and the marrow softened and shrinking from the bone.
Removed
bones and vegetables and place in a very large stockpot. Degrease the pan with a splash of white wine and pour some water into the roasting pan
and place on the stove over medium heat. Scrape off as much of the
remains from the bottom as you can and then pour that
into the stockpot as well. Fill the pot with cold water (about 4
gallons) and set over moderately high heat. Bring to a boil and
immediately lower the heat and skim off any scum while it simmers. Once
you have removed the scum, add:
1 large onion studded with cloves
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
and cover the pot and simmer anywhere from 2-4 hours.
While the stock is simmering, make a bouquet garní as follows:
One can make a bouquet garní with cheesecloth, OR you can make one with the wide green leaves of the leeks.
3 sprigs fresh thyme
5-6 large leaves fresh sage
1 whole stem fresh rosemary
4-5 sprigs fresh flat Italian parsley
8-10 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Take
two of the flattened green leaves of the leek and place them flat on a
cutting board. Place all of the herbs, the bay leaf, and the peppercorns
on the leeks and start to roll the leaves to contain the herbs. Cover
these two leaves with two more leaves of the leek so you have a nice
circular package. Take some kitchen twine and tie the bundle at the far
ends like a log. It doesn't matter if some of the herbs are protruding
at the open ends. The twine will keep everything in place (I sometimes
use wide rubber bands that I have saved from asparagus or broccoli
bundles, which work perfectly for this).
Add the bouquet garní to the stockpot. At this poin, I often add 2 cubes of Knorr or Maggi beef bouillion and then cover and continue to simmer for several hours. I sometimes let it simmer on the stove overnight to intensify the flavor of the stock.
At this point, you will have a delicious liquid. Once cooled, strin through a large china cap strainer lined with cheesecloth. Discard the bones and the vegetables. You can use the stock immediately or store and freeze some for future use. You will need at least half the liquid for the onion soup.
For the onions:
Peel and slice about 3-4 pounds of onions. It is easier to cut the onion in half and slice very thin slices.
1/2 stick butter
6 tbs. Olive Oil
A very large skillet or frying pan to hold all the onions.
A large simmering stockpot filled with beef broth
Heat the pan over moderately high heat and melt butter and oil. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes to coat them thoroughly with the butter mixture. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over them, stir and cover. Lower the heat somewhat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Without burning the onions, continue to cook covered for another 40 minutes. About half way through, add 1/2 tsp. sugar and continue to cook. Uncover the pan after 40 minutes and continue to cook, stirring often. The onions should turn very brown and reduce a great deal.
Sprinkle 2 tbs. flour over the onions and stir gently to incorporate. Add a splash or two of Madeira, stir gently and immediately pour all of the onions into the stock pot. Add 2 cups dry white wine and bring to the boil. Once the stock is boiling, turn the heat down to simmer partially covered and cook for at least one hour. After an hour, check for seasoning and add:
1/4 cognac or brandy
Cook for another hour or so, or even overnight. Allow to cool, refrigerate if possible (it always tastes better after refrigeration). Reheat before composing soup dishes for serving.
You should have 16 slices of toasted baguette slices ready at hand as well as:
16 slices mild Provolone
16 slices Gruyere or Emmanthaler cheese
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano
Have 4 soup cups/dishes each lined up and ready for assembly on 2 roasting pans. Fill each bowl with the soup. Add the bread slices and place two slices of each cheese on every bowl and sprinkle with some of the grated cheese.
Place on two racks of a preheated 450º oven for 20-25 minutes. The cheese should be completely melted and have golden brown crusts around the edges. Sprinkle a little finely chopped parsley on each bowl and serve immediately.
I know that the steps are many, but it really isn't a lot of work considering the length of time it takes cooking itself on the stove. The prep work truly isn't that much, and if you plan ahead and start on Monday, the soup on Friday will be outrageously delicious and worth the wait.
Bon appetit!
