French Onion Soup – a soup so good it will make you cry more than once. I learned this recipe and the following techniques in culinary school back in 2013. The onions are slowly cooked in butter before being reduced with beef stock – a culinary method called ‘au sec’, which translates until nearly dry. It adds thirty minutes to the cooking process, but it’s well worth the wait. It gets finished with more beef stock, chicken stock, a delicious twist of Sherry, before of course being broiled with toasted bread and Gruyere cheese. don’t know about you, but when crusty bread and melted cheese are involved, I will wait to great lengths.

Throughout the braising season, I freeze any extra beef au jus to use in lieu of beef stock.

My grandmother recommends to puree French Onion Soup after it simmers, and to pour the sherry directly under the melted cheese.

French Onion Soup

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Servings

servings

Ingredients

5 white or sweet onions
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper as needed
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 cups of beef stock, divided
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup sherry
4 large baguette slices
softened butter, as needed
4 slices of Gruyere, Swiss, or Provolone cheese

Directions

Thinly slice, or julienne, the onions. Trim off the stem end of the onion, then cut it in half from top to bottom. Peel away the outer layer and discard. Place each half cut-side down on the board, remove the stem top, and slice thinly from root to tip, following the natural vertical lines of the onion for even slices. Set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir to coat them evenly in the butter. Season generously with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, with the lid slightly ajar, for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the thyme and 1 cup of beef stock. Bring the stock to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The stock will partially reduce and help thicken the onions. Repeat this process two more times, adding 1 cup of stock each time, until the onions are caramelized and thickened.
Once the onions are a deep golden brown, add the remaining 1 cup of beef stock and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, and cook for twenty minutes.
Stir in the sherry and simmer for an additional ten minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Set the oven to broil and prepare the baguettes. Lay the baguette slices on a small baking sheet, and rub the tops with softened butter. Toast for 1-2 minutes, watching closely. Remove from the oven and set aside. Ladle the soup into 4 oven-safe bowls (like a soup crock) leaving room at the top. Place a piece of baguette on top of each soup, then layer with a slice of cheese. Broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.