When I was a stagiaire at Maison, one of my daily tasks was to peel and chop approximately 50 onions to make French Onion Soup. We served the soup as an amuse-bouche topped with a bone marrow mousse in tiny searing hot v. expensive porcelain cups that were handcrafted in Japan. During service, one of my tasks was to fire the soups, pour them ripping hot into the heated cups, top them with the mousse, and walk them to the diner just as they finished their tartelettes. I'd explain the dish to them in my mauvais français, "bonsoir, c'est une soupe à l'oignon avec une mousse à l'os à moelle" while trying to maintain serene composure as the scalding porcelain melted my fingerprints.
Each morning, I'd peel onions after I'd washed the endives and downed two coffees. While the task was overwhelming and daunting at first, I grew to enjoy the act's meditative nature and thought of it as a challenge to do this a little bit faster each day. We'd then slice and caramelize the onions in a massive skillet for a couple of hours (a couple of hours due to the large quantity) while the various stocks bubbled away on the piano or stove. I was surprised at how simple the soup was and was pleasantly surprised that we achieved such depth of flavor with chicken stock rather than beef broth.
I never made French onion soup at home before my internship because making this soup felt like a considerable undertaking because of the beef broth. But now I make this soup all the time, and the swap of using good chicken stock makes the recipe feel very manageable to me. Because this recipe has only a few key ingredients, I urge you to use homemade chicken stock (you can use my recipe here). I make the stock in advance and pull it out of my freezer when I'm in the mood for this cozy soup.
Recipe Type: Cozy Dinner
Time: a little over an hour
Servings: 2 large servings
Ingredients
3 medium onions
1 tablespoon of butter
Neutral oil
1 liter or a quart of homemade chicken stock or beef stock
160 grams or two cups of shredded cheese such as comté, gruyère, or any melty swiss cheese
2 tablespoons Sherry or Cognac
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon of chicken or beef bouillon powder
½ teaspoon of sherry or red wine vinegar
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon of lemon zest
2 slices of sourdough bread cut to fit in the top of the ramekin
Salt and pepper
Equipment
Cutting Board
Knife
8 or 10-inch skillet
Box Grater
Pot for soup
Microplane
Two ramekins
Instructions
Caramelize the onions
Peel the onions, cut in half lengthwise, and slice horizontally into ⅛ inch slivers. The key to even caramelization is to have equal sizes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of butter and let melt. When the butter melts and starts to foam and add the onions along with a generous pinch of salt. The salt will help draw out the moisture in the onions and allow them to brown more quickly. Give the onions a stir and lower the heat to medium.
Cook until the onions have browned entirely (around 30 minutes) and frequently stir them to ensure that the onions don't burn.
While the onions are cooking, grate the cheese on the large hole of a box grater and set aside. Toast the two pieces of sourdough in the toaster or in the oven at 350 until lightly toasted, heat up the homemade chicken stock (recipe here) in a covered pot over low heat with a sprig of thyme and bay leaf, and let the herbs infuse the stock.
When the onions have caramelized, deglaze (meaning lift the delicious brown stuff off the bottom of the pan with a liquid) the pan by adding two tablespoons of sherry or cognac. If you're cooking over a gas flame, move the pan away from the fire or turn off the gas so that the alcohol doesn't shoot up into a dramatic/dangerous flame. Let the alcohol cook off for 30 seconds to one minute, or until the alcohol smell cooks off.
Place the onions into the pot of stock and add ½ a teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder, one teaspoon of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer uncovered, and cook for 20 minutes or until the flavors have gotten cozy with one another. While the soup is simmering, preheat the broiler.
After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, remove the thyme sprig and bay leaf. Taste the soup for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to your preference. Add the freshly grated lemon and a splash (¼ - ½ teaspoon) of sherry or red wine vinegar to balance the flavors.
Place the two ramekins on a baking sheet and ladle the soup into each ramekin. Place a piece of sourdough toast on top of the soup, and top the sourdough with the grated cheese.
Place the tray with the ramekins underneath the broiler. Broil until the cheese has melted, bubbles, and browns to your liking. Stay nearby and watch the soups, as this can happen very quickly depending on how hot your broiler gets.
Remove carefully and set on two heatproof plates. Serve immediately.