“Midnight in Paris”
Onion Soup Gratiné
THE ULTIMATE COLD WEATHER DISH—soupe à l’oignon gratinée—was the pièce de résistance of a popular winter cooking class called “Midnight in Paris” that I taught several years ago. This recipe is based loosely on the first onion soup I ever made from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I. The main difference is that I suggest using a quick short-cut beef stock instead of Julia’s homemade stock.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 quarts beef stock
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 pounds yellow onions, sliced ¼-inch thick, to yield 10 cups
- Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar, plus more if needed
- ¼ cup
all-purpose flour - ¾ cup dry white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Baguettes
- 18 baguette slices, cut about 3⁄8-inch thick
- 3–4 tablespoons
olive oil, plus more if needed - 12-ounce piece good quality aged Gruyère grated to yield 1½ cups and the remainder cut into slivers ¼-inch by 1-inch long to yield ½ cup
Print Recipe
- Heat beef stock over very low heat, then cover it, and keep the stock warm at a very low simmer while you prepare the soup.
- In a 5-quart heavy pot (with a lid) over medium–low heat, heat the butter and oil. When hot, add the onions. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and raise the heat to medium. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, the sugar, and the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan so that the flour does not burn, until the onions are rich golden (like the color of light brown sugar), 35 to 40 minutes or more. (While you are cooking the onions, the flour will start to darken too and the onions will cook down considerably. That’s okay.)
- When the onions are done, add the simmering stock and ½ cup of the wine. Season the soup with salt and pepper, and a pinch or two of extra sugar if desired. Simmer, partially covered with the lid set ajar, 40 minutes more. With a large spoon, skim off any foam that forms. Add the remaining ¼ cup wine and season the soup again with salt and pepper. (Soup can be prepared three days ahead. Cook to this stage, then cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat.)
- While the soup is simmering, prepare the baguette slices and the cheese topping. Arrange a rack at center position of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Brush the baguette slices generously on both sides with olive oil and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until slices are crisp, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove and cool. (Baguette slices can be prepared two days ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature.) Retain oven temperature.
- Arrange 6 ovenproof soup bowls or ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and fill them ¾ full with the hot soup. Divide the slivered cheese among the bowls. Float 2 to 3 baguette slices on top of each serving, and sprinkle generously with some grated cheese. Depending on the size of your bowls or ramekins, you may have some soup, cheese, or croutons left over.
- Bake the soups until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned, 15 minutes. Watch constantly. If desired, run under a hot broiler to brown more, 1 to 2 minutes.
Nothing warms the chills of winter like soup, so share this Paris-inspired onion soup recipe with family and friends.
Up Next:
Spicy Red Lentil Soup
Excerpted from © Soup Nights by Betty Rosbottom, Rizzoli New York, 2016. Images © Harry Zernike and may not be reproduced in any way, published, or transmitted digitally, without written permission from the publisher.
Posted in January 2018, Recipe on Nov 02, 2017