Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tom's Onion Soup

Tom's Onion Soup (direct from Paris)
*
I've been nagging Tom to make onion soup for us forever! It something we always love to eat at Pastis or Tartine when we're in nyc. Perfect for a rainy or cold day! 
He finally created this one without a recipe (he was a chef in Paris for 5 yrs!- even so he made it look so easy. He said to make sure you use Sea Salt and fresh ground black paper!) I tired to take pictures of all the steps but missed the onion cutting- which he finished before I grabbed the camera! Everything is explained below!
Bon Apetit! 

This recipe is good for 2 large servings and a bit left over to split a bowl the next day!

Ingredients
5 Large yellow onions
4 tbsps. of good salted butter
Pinch of Thyme, 1 or 2 Bay Leaves
Dry White or Red Wine
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Gruyere Cheese
Baguette
Beef Stock
A little bit of flour

Step 1 
(not pictured!)
Halve lengthwise and peel all your onions. Thinly slice.

Step 2
Put your butter in the pot- melt the four tbsps.
(*Make sure you have a heavy bottomed cooking pot- such as Le Creuset- which I'd recommend- or All-Clad. The weight and heat transfer of these pots makes the slow sauteing of the onions an easier task to accomplish!

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Step 3
Add the onions. And a double pinch of fresh thyme (dried is ok!) and 1 large or 2 small bay leaves with a pinch of sea salt (Baleine or Maldon!) and pepper to taste. Start the onions off on a high heat and reduce after 10 minutes.

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Continue cooking for another 30 minutes
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until the onions are..Untitled 
...a deep golden brown and caramelized.Untitled 
A total of 40 minutes. 

Step 4
At this point add a sprinkled tablespoon or 2 of flour to the onions, stirring and cooking for five minutes to neutralize the taste of the flour. And add a quarter to 1/2 cup of white or red wine (we used white in this case!). Allow all of the alcohol to cook off- about 5 more minutes. (Aromatic!)

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Step 5
Next add 4 cups (or a 1 quart container) of good brown beef stock- preferably Pacific (which we used and thought was good!) Homemade works as well if you feel heroic!

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Cook the onions and added beef stock over a very slow heat for about 20 minutes. 

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At this point the soup can be allowed to cool, if you prefer making it in the morning or a day ahead of time.

Gruyere
Step 6
When ready for final preparation grate about 2-3 ounces of good Swiss Gruyere cheese. And thinly slice a stale or fresh baguette (we actually used cibatta bread which we had on hand- similar!) Brown or toast the baguette in the oven.

UntitledStep 7
Ladel your onion soup into their cooking crocks!

UntitledAnd top with the toasted baguette slices. 

Untitledand liberally cover with the shredded gruyere!

Untitled(we're ready to go!)

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Step 8
To finish place under a broiler or in an oven heated to 400 degrees and cook until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

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(checking in!)

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Voila! (my cup)

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C'est Finis! (tom's cup!)

all gone
All gone :D

5 comments:

samantha ramage said...

so yummy looking!!
post the recipe!!

xo
sami

Christa said...

Rec-i-pe, rec-i-pe! :) Love onion soup and your heavy pot!

hmstrjam said...

ok! will have to follow up with a recipe :D Can't believe i posted onion soup- it's burning up here now - heat wave! still love onion soup though too- luckily made it on a cooler day....

hmstrjam said...

Recipe now included! ;D http://smallexpectations.blogspot.com/2012/06/toms-onion-soup.html

sweet harvest moon said...

My favorite during winter time!