French Onion Soup
Level: Moderate Yield: 4 to 6 servings
This is a typical French Onion Soup, as you’d find it in France made with onion broth. The onion broth brings a sweet, rich flavor perfectly blending with the onions and lots of Gruyere
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter
7 pounds Spanish onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 Cups Water
6 to 12 slices of baguette or country-style bread
1/3 cup sherry
Red or white wine vinegar (optional)
Red wine (optional)
3/4 pound Gruyère or Emmanthaler cheese, Sliced thick or Shredded
DIRECTIONS
Use a large pot, with a capacity of about 7 1/2 quarts that will hold all the onions. Place the pot over medium and melt the butter. Add the onions, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, cover, and cook until the onions have heated through and started to steam. Uncover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, once or twice an hour once they release their water. Season with several grinds of pepper.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place the bread slices in the oven and let dry completely (you can leave the slices in the oven indefinitely, as the heat is not high enough to burn them).
When the onions have completely cooked down, the water has cooked off, and the onions have turned amber—this will take several hours—add 6 cups of water.
Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Add the sherry. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is too sweet, add some vinegar. If you would like a little more depth, add a splash of red wine. I like the onion-to-liquid ratio with 6 cups of water. But if you’d prefer a little more delicate soup, add 1 cup water.
Preheat the broiler/grill. Portion the soup into bowls, float the bread on top, cover with the cheese (when you think you have plenty of cheese on top, add some more), and broil/grill until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. Serve immediately.
