French Onion Soup

I typically make French Onion Soup in the fall and winter; however, I ended up with a whole whack of onions as I needed the onion bags to help suspend my growing watermelons!  So I found myself making this soup in the middle of July during a record breaking heat wave!  Probably not the most ideal timing, but is there really ever a wrong time to eat French onion soup?!

There are two key tips to success for really good onion soup.  Brandy is definitely one of them.  I'm not a huge liquor in my food kind of fan, particularly when it comes to desserts.   But having made it once without adding the alcohol, I can attest to the distinct lack of that specific French onion soup flavour.  I didn't realize it was the brandy, until it wasn't there. 

The second key tip is slow cooking your onions, with emphasis on slow!  All in all, I allowed my onions to cook for just shy of 3 hours (prior to adding any liquid).  I started off by sweating them until translucent, before removing the lid and reducing the heat to low.  I would love to say that you can leave them at this point; however, they do need some tending to.   The occasional stir is required, increasing to frequent stirring as the liquid evaporates and the onions turn a golden brown. 

Towards the 2 hour mark, I increased the heat to medium-low to ensure the onions had a good depth of colour and left brown bits on the bottom of the pot.  The brown bits are important, as they get scrapped up when deglazing with a 1/4 cup of beef stock.  I used a small amount of stock to deglaze, as I wanted to really intensify the flavour of the soup by allowing that 1/4 cup to reduce and be absorbed by the onions.  Once there was no remaining liquid, I added the brandy and repeated the reducing and absorption process, before adding the remaining stock, water and seasonings. 

To gratiné or not is really up to you! The classic certainly included bread topped with cheese, melted under a broiler; however, the plain version still offers incredible flavour.

Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

Serves 4

Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – 2 ½ to 3 Hours

Ingredients

• 7 Medium Onions – thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 4 Cloves Garlic – minced
• 3 Cups Beef Broth
• ¼ Cup Brandy
• 2 Cups Water
• Salt & Pepper
• Swiss or Extra Old Cheddar Cheese
• Baguette

Preparation

1. In a Dutch oven set over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil.
2. Meanwhile, slice the onions in half and then thinly slice into half-moons.Add the sliced onions to the Dutch oven; sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar and 2 pinches of salt. Toss to combine, cover and allow sweat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
3. Lower the heat to low and continue cooking uncovered for an additional 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
4. Increase temperature to medium-low, add the minced garlic and continue cooking until the onions are browned and the juices have completely evaporated, approximately an additional 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan with a ¼ cup of beef stock, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.Once the beef broth has been absorbed, deglaze again with a ¼ cup of brandy and continue scrapping up any brown bits until the brandy has been absorbed.
6. Add the remaining beef broth, water and season with salt and pepper.Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Place top rack on second rung from top.Preheat oven to broil.Grate cheese and set aside.Slice baguette and toast slices.
8. Ladle soup into oven proof bowls set a top a foil lined baking sheet.Top soup with toast and cover with grated cheese.Broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the soup is bubbling and the cheese has melted and is golden brown.
9. Serve immediately.