La Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée
Les Plats Mijotés: The Sunday French Simmer
This isn't a white-tablecloth luxury; in the freezing dawn at Les Halles market, exhausted Parisian laborers didn't want delicate veal reductions—they wanted hot, cheap sustenance. Transforming a three-pound bag of yellow onions in a heavy Dutch oven relies entirely on a single, slow process, giving them nearly an hour to slowly melt into a dark, sweet mahogany jam. You cannot rush the onions. Push the bowls under the broiler until the Gruyère blisters, and pass out the heavy spoons.
Ingredients
- yellow onion2 lb
- unsalted butter3 tbsp
- neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
- garlic2 small clove
- all-purpose flour1 tbsp
- dry white wine1/2 cup
- Cognac2 tbsp
- beef broth6 cup
- fresh thyme3 sprig
- bay leaf1 med
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- baguette1 small
- garlic1 large clove
- Gruyère cheese10 oz
Method
- 01
Caramelize the onions with absolute patience.
Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat with the butter and oil, add the sliced onions, and cover for ten minutes to let them sweat before uncovering and cooking for forty to fifty minutes, stirring occasionally until they transform into a deep, sticky mahogany paste.
- 02
Cook out the raw flour.
Stir in the minced garlic for one minute, then sprinkle the flour evenly over the deeply browned onions and stir continuously for another two minutes to eliminate the raw starch taste.
- 03
Deglaze to capture the fond.
Pour in the white wine and Cognac, aggressively scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift all the sticky, caramelized sugars into the liquid, and let it bubble until the pot is nearly dry.
- 04
Simmer the broth gently.
Pour in the beef broth, add the thyme and bay leaf, bring to a gentle simmer, and then reduce the heat to low, allowing it to bubble gently for thirty minutes before seasoning with salt and heavy black pepper.
- 05
Dry out and rub the bread.
While the soup simmers, bake the baguette slices at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about ten minutes until entirely crisp, then immediately rub the cut sides of the raw garlic clove over both sides of each hot slice.
- 06
Build the gratin and broil aggressively.
Ladle the hot soup into oven-safe bowls, float the garlic-rubbed toasts on top, and pile the freshly grated cheese generously so it spills over the edges to touch the ceramic sides before passing under the broiler until wildly bubbling and dotted with dark brown spots.
Notes
Build a structural cheese seal.
Ensure the grated cheese spills over the edges of the bread to touch the ceramic sides of the bowl, which traps the steam in and prevents the toast from catching fire under the intense heat of the broiler.
Do not use pre-shredded cheese.
Pre-bagged cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents that prevent a smooth, cohesive melt and will completely ruin the gratin effect.
From Cook French in America.