soup ii: french onion soup

...but we used red ones. The next soup from the cookbook was French Onion. A classic, I guess that is why the editor included it in the "Classic Soups" section at the beginning of the book. French Onion Soup holds a special place in our hearts. We once had a bowl at a TGI Friday's in the Minneapolis airport while waiting on a flight on our honeymoon (bet Michelle didn't think I remembered that one, score one for the home team) We also are served it every Christmas Eve at my father's. French Onion Soup is associated with good times in our life.

As I posted the other day, this soup has been in process since Thursday with the making of the stock. Preparation today for the soup consisted of thinly slicing (or not so thinly in my case, hopefully my knife skills will increase as I do all this chopping, mincing and slicing for these soups. Right now I just blame it on a crappy knife) four large red onions, and four leeks.

Mmmmmmm ... oniony goodness. Of course, I once again failed to follow the sage advice of my wife and wear my contact lens, by the fourth onion the sting had set in. We also found out that four large red onions is a lot of onions. After pulling out our biggest pan, they filled it to the rim. I swear the 3 lbs/1.36 kg that the onions weighed at the store became eight after slicing. Some real weird alchemy. Next was determining how to cut a leek, since neither of us had ever had to deal with one of these interesting boogers before. We stood in amazement at the amount of the leek that the internet deemed as non-usable.

At long last we got down to some cooking. 15 minutes on medium low for the onions, and then toss in the leeks and a little sugar and caramelize for 45 minute. Stirring frequently. Standing over a pan of lowly simmering onions for an hour does wonders for your general body odor. I am sure the Michelle will smell like an old sock for the next three days, good thing I have short hair. Finally we combined the onions with the broth and a little white wine, and we were good to go.

Ladling the soup out and firing up the broiler, we topped each bowl with freshly sliced baguette and some cave aged gruyere (we splurged a little here, but it was worth it). The soup turned out to be very sweet, in that good oniony sweet type of a way, and not nearly as salty as other versions of it. The soup was onion soup with beef undertones, as opposed to beef soup with onion. One of my favorite things in the world is a whole onion, slow cooked with Sunday roast. You peel back the layers and get to that tiny kernel in the middle, it is like eating a baked apple. That was what this whole soup tasted like.

By allowing the onions and leeks to caramelize low and slow on the stove top, we created a whole pot full of sweet goodness. The leeks reminded us most of cabbage after having been cooked and then melded in the soup. The cheese complimented it perfectly. By splurging on the cave cheese (And I thought our house stunk today, the smell must be unbearable in a cave full of cheese) we had something that was strong enough to be surprising, but of the right texture and taste to bring out the beef stock and more earthiness of the onions. Michelle noted that the cheese's consistency was perfect in that it was melty and bubbly, but not stringy, thus eating the soup was not frustrating as it sometimes can be. Overall an excellent meal.

French Onion Soup is now over (except for the leftovers, which will probably only get better in the fridge. I find that the fridge is like a reverse stovetop using the cold to mix and mingle the components of a dish), next up Split Pea Soup with Bacon.

But wait dear reader that is not all. This week you are in for an extra treat. I will be making an extra special post following dinner Tuesday night. Although it will not be about soup, the centerpiece of dinner that night is one that I am sure will intrigue everyone. Beef Tongue. Chew on that awhile.