Best F*cking French Onion Soup, Eva

And I'm not exaggerating :)

12 medium red onions sliced thin (if you can't find mediums, try 8 or so large).

In a Dutch oven-size pot, melt 3-4 tablespoons of butter
and throw the onions in. Let them cook slowly until tender.
(initially, expect the onions to almost overflow the pot, the
volume will decrease as they cook.)

Add 1/4 cup sherry. Simmer 5 minutes.
Add the following:

2 bottles beer (I like Pete's for this, or Newcastle)
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon mustard (never figured out whether mom meant dry
or moist, I use dry)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
5 cups water
1 tablespoon dill
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
9 beef boullion cubes
4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

bring to boil, then simmer for 6-8 hours.

all herbs are of the dried variety.


If you're going to cheese it for serving, gruyere just rocks the house.

This soup will be surprisingly sweet and not leave your breath overly toxic.

This recipe sounds fantastic.... okay that I make a copy of it? Do you put the soup in crock bowls and bake to have the cheese melt? Do you use croutons, if you do, what kind?

that's why it's here :) Just don't go spreading it in non-liberal households :D

I have Corning 'grabit' bowls I use, but yes, crocks are supposed to be the ideal. Instead of croutons, try lightly toasting a slice of Italian or French bread and laying that on top, that way the cheese stays where it's supposed to when you bake (you want it to be lightly brown & bubbly).

adding - oh, and don't let the onions carmelize when you're sauteeing them, keep the heat medium ->low and give them a stir every now and then.

there is no recipe

I make my own beef stock ( sometimes I put a touch of garlic or other spices...it just depends), but I do augment it with the paste kind of bouillon after it is done. I saute the onions with lots of butter
( at least a stick) and add a touch of olive oil to prevent burning. I do put sherry in it, but that's all.
Because I serve it at big family dinners ( buffet) I can't do the whole bit with the cheese and bread, so I make my own croutons out of French bread, and when they are dry, I sprinkle a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan, Gruyere or whatever is on hand on top and lightly toast them. In that way the guest can just top off the soup themselves.

BUT, I think I'll try your recipe. I'm usually the kind of cook that makes up my own as I go, but it's fun to try new stuff.

:toast:

It's a simmering away and already the onions are full of flavor, great broth. I added a little more kosher salt. THANKS so much for this recipe!

What time zone are you in, looks like a late dinner.

Enjoy.

but the other half gets home at midnight so we have a late dinner. It's an odd schedule, just like everyone else only shifted like 5 hours forward!

I even have gruyere and toasted Freedom bread rounds ready to go!

Is that cooking sherry or drinking sherry? (I assume there is a difference.)

I've never heard of those beers. Are they light or dark? Shiner Boch is what we usually have around the house. How does that sound?

Thanks so much! I'm going to make this recipe this week! I can't wait!

I use cooking shorry, as I'm not a sherry drinker and don't keep the stuff around.

Slice a couple of onions, saute slowly in a big ol' pot till they're nice and soft. Pour in a nice shot of brandy and light it (doesn't do much for the soup, but it sure is fun). Pour in the beef broth, usually canned, and give it a few good grinds of pepper. Simmer for a few minutes, and in the meantime make some toast and cut nice circles out of the middles. Ladle the soup into the little crockery bowls, stick in the toast circles, top with Swiss and mozza and broil 'em till the cheese browns.

Note: After years of having the cheese sink (still tasted OK) because I used grated, I made the discovery that cheese slices (NOT the processed kind) will latch themselves to the sides of the bowl and will stay put and brown nicely. One square slice of each kind. In fact, my daughter hates the soggy toast in the bowl, so it's just the cheese for her, but even then it doesn't sink.

I didn't have any bay leaves or dill, though, and I used grated parmesian cheese because that's all I had, but it was still delicious! My husband liked it, too.

Thanks again for the recipe, Crisco! :yourock:

at either a Whole Foods or Wild Oats Market, I usually pick up a small quantity to have lesser used herbs on hand, esp. in the fall winter when the cooking urge strikes.

It's also cheaper, because you aren't supporting McCormick et al's marketing campaigns. :D

all the booze cook off in 6-8 hours?

but I'm not that knowledgeable about it. It didn't taste like alcohol, though. I couldn't believe how "un-oniony" it tasted!

Glad it turned out well, even without the dill (it adds even more sweetness, methinks).

easily.

as I'm not a beef eater.

This looks great. I'll let you know if the veggie version works.

I'd be interested to know. The flavor meat adds to certain meals is one of the reasons I gave up vegetarianism. Boullion's not exactly the same thing, though.

It would probably have been better with beef stock, but my BH won't eat meat. It was plenty good with the veggie bouillion, though!!