Julia Child's French Onion Soup
My dad loved French Onion Soup. These are the french crocks that I grew up with so this is comfort food on every level for me. You can find so many recipes out there BUT hands down none will ever beat Julia Child’s. Her technique to perfectly caramelize the onions is worth the extra time (hands off!) because of the depth of flavor. Try this...promise you won’t regret it!
INGREDIENTS
- 5-6 Cups Yellow Onions, sliced thin
- 1/2 Yellow Onion, raw
- Olive Oil, 4 Tbsp
- French Bread, about 8 slices
- Cogniac, 2-3 Tbsp (optional)
- Parmesan Cheese, 4 ounces
- Swiss Cheese, Grated, about 12 ounces
- Salt and Pepper
- Sage, Ground, 1/2 tsp
- Bay Leaf, 1 leaf
- White Wine, 1 cup
- Beef Stock, 6 cups
- Flour, 3 Tbsp
- Sugar, 1/2 tsp
- Butter, 2 Tbsp
- Cooking Oil, 1 Tbsp
DIRECTIONS
Heat a heavy, oven-safe, stock pot over medium-low heat and add the cooking oil once the pot is hot. Melt the butter into the hot oil. Stir the sliced onions into the oil/butter mix, ensuring they are evenly coated. Cover the stock pot and cook for around 20 minutes checking to make sure they aren’t burning. Onions should be clear and very tender once finished. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and add the sugar and 1tsp salt. Continue cooking while stirring until onions are thoroughly browned (caramelized).
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 3 Tbsp flour. Cook 2-3 minutes until flour forms a thick paste (add more butter if needed). Stir in 1 cup of beef stock, and stir heavily for a couple seconds.
Add the rest of the stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Drizzle both sides of french bread slices with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet. Cook the bread in the oven for 15 minutes on each side.
Taste soup, and add salt and pepper as needed, then remove the bay leaf.
Add cognac, and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup. Add a little bit of the swiss cheese to the soup, preserving most of it for the top. Cover the soup mixture with the bread, forming a single layer bread top. Sprinkle the rest of the Swiss cheese over the top of the bread, forming a thick layer. Drizzle melted butter or oil over the cheese, and place the pot into the oven uncovered. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Turn the broiler on and brown the cheese.
Remove pot from oven and let stand to cool. Serve up to some lucky guests and enjoy all the kudos you receive.