French Onion Soup

This is the real deal. Classic French Onion Soup - pure and simple. No thickeners, herbs, or flavorings that aren’t called for.

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a starter

3 Pounds (1,400 gm) Raw Onions sliced ¼ to ⅜” thickness.
½ Cup Madiera Fortified Wine* - to taste. You can substitute one of the fortified wines listed below, but please don’t use an unfortified wine.*
3 Ounces Butter (85 gm) (6 TABLESPOONS).
5 Cups Beef Stock (1¼ qt) (1,200 ml).
Salt & Pepper to taste.
Camembert, Gruyere, or Baby Swiss Cheese.
Open texture white bread such as Ciabatta or French Loaf.

NOTE: Fortified Wines are not the same as advertised ‘cooking wines’, nor are they ordinary run of the mill dry white or red wines. If you don’t have one of the commonly available fortified wines (Madiera, Marsala, Sherry, Port, Mirin, or Shaoxing, don’t try to make French Onion Soup. You’re not ready! consider cooking something else.

To serve six as a starter or four as a main course, you'll need: 3lb onions, sliced, 1 small wineglass Madeira, 5 cups good beef stock or consommé, Open-textured white bread (ciabatta or a French loaf) - 2 slices per person, 1 slice Cheese per piece of bread, 3oz butter or lard, salt, and pepper.

Slice the onions about the thickness of your little finger. I use a mandolin. Put the onions in a large, heavy saucepan with the butter/lard, and simmer on low heat, stirring every ten to twenty minutes or so, for longer than you think you should. You're aiming to cook these to a golden, caramel unctuousness. I don’t use a kitchen timer. Just put put on one of your favorite two hour movies, get up and stir every 10 to 20 minutes or so, and by the time your movie’s finished, they’ll be almost done. Pay attention that your onions - do not let them burn! Check them every 20 minutes at the start and then more frequently towards the end. The onions will have cooked down to a fraction of their original volume and will be a rich dark caramel brown in color. The color is your choice. When your onions are done, throw the fortified wine* into the hot pan with the onions, and either flambé*, or let it simmer away to nothing till all the alcohol has evaporated. Add the stock, bring to a quit boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and continue to cook for at least 30 more minutes or so to allow the flavors to incorporate. Adjust the salt and pepper to suit your taste. Add more stock for a thinner soup or let it cook down some if you prefer it thicker.

When the soup is almost ready, prepare the croutons. Toast thick slices of bread (I use the grill or a grill pan to get good dark, charred lines on each slice), lay the cheese on them and put them under the grill until the cheese starts to brown. Serve the soup with a crouton floating on top. The soup should soak into the crisp crouton as the heat softens the cheese.

* Fortified Wines Fortified Wines are not the commonly advertised ‘cooking wines’ nor are they ordinary run of the mill dry white or red wines. Click the link above for more information.

* Flambéing is DANGEROUS! - It is igniting alcoholic vapors in a pan or over a dish. It is usually done just for show, however a competent chef will often flambé in the pan while cooking because it is convenient, saves time, and they know how to do it safely without becoming a flaming torch. To flambé safely, remove the pan or pot from the heat or turn off the flame before adding any liquor. Briefly return the pot to the heat to warm the liquor, and then remove from the heat source once more. Make sure flammable objects are moved away, and use a long kitchen match. Once lit, hold the match just above the liquor in the pan (you are lighting the fumes, not the liquid). Keep your hands and arms away from the edge of the pot. I have had flambés flash up to a frightening size. The flame should burn out in about 30 seconds. Keep a pot lid nearby to cover the pan if the flames don't subside within a minute, and have a towel nearby to smother any fire you might create.