FRENCH ONION SOUP MADE THE REAL WAY, ALA MOLINARI
1
1/2 to 2 pounds of yellow onions
5
tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4-cup
flour or Wondera
6
cups Porcini Mushroom Broth
{See
below}
Toasted
slices of good baguette bread
At
least 3/4 pound Cave Aged Swiss Gruyere Cheese {if available or
regular Swiss Gruyere}, shredded
Approximately
1/2-cup cognac
French
Salt like Fleur del Sel, or comparable salt to taste
Fresh
Ground Black Pepper
Bouquet
Garni- of 4 fresh twigs of Thyme, some parsley stems, and three bay
leaves tied together with string.
Remember
recipes are guidelines. This recipe makes two to four portions
depending on the size of your ovenproof soup tureens. So adjust
recipe accordingly. You can double it, nothing wrong with more to set
up and serve the next day. Try to find Star Porcini Bouillon Cubes
sometimes hard to find. They are often available in gourmet shops
like Murray’s Cheese Shop here in NYC on Bleecker St in Greenwich
Village. Use 5 cubes for 6 cups of hot water. Drizzle the broth with
a few drops of good olive oil and set aside. Peel the onions and
slice thinly. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven or other
heavy pot. Add the onions, a little salt, pepper and sauté, stirring
frequently {you can also chop up the porcini’s and add if you wish,
I do it that way}. When the onions are nicely browned sprinkle evenly
with the flour. Let cook for a minute longer, and deglaze with half
the cognac. Then pour in the broth add the bouquet garni, salt and
pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, lower flame and simmer slowly for a
half hour to 45 minutes. Lightly butter the bottom the butter of soup
tureens and put a pinch of the cheese at the bottom. When soup is
done, taste for seasoning adjustment, add a little more of the
cognac, remove the garni and any parts of it that might have fallen
into the soup. Pour soup into tureens leaving at least one inch of
room or more for the toasts and cheese, top each with a few more
drops of cognac. Add enough pieces of the baguette toast to cover the
top, and then cover the toast with a generous amount of shredded
cheese. Put them on a baking sheet, put them in the oven and broil,
and remove when cheese is golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes and
serve. Bon Appetit!
No comments:
Post a Comment