There is - I think - something incredibly satisfying about French Onion soup. It’s not too heavy, but packs in a huge amount of flavour. There is a problem though - I can’t make it without crying like a baby. To be honest, I tried to make it once before (several years ago), but after cutting a couple of onions I gave up because it just didn’t seem worth it. There is, of course, the option of buying frozen, pre-chopped onions, but, well let’s just not go there.
So I’ve avoided making it completely. The West Port, in St Andrews, used to do a good version of it every so often as part of their express lunch, but it’s just not the same when it’s not home-made When I came across this recipe about a month ago all that changed. I’m not sure why the thought of roasting them had never crossed my mind before, but now that it’s on my radar, it will definitely become a part of the soup-season-selection, especially if it continues to be freezing cold. The end result wasn’t quite what I was after - most probably because of the distinct lack of croûtes - but practice makes perfect, so I’m sure that this recipe will be out again pretty soon.
French Onion Soup
This recipe is adapted from Nigel Slater’s wonderful Kitchen Diaries. I’ve not tweaked the recipe that much (there’s not a lot too adapt). It makes enough for two, as a main course. There are no photos from the cheese croûtes (as you can see), that’s because I got a little peckish whilst the onions were softening and accidentally ate both the bread and the cheese. I’m sure the soup is even better when you have them on top.
Ingredients
3 onions
30g butter
1 glass of white wine
1 l vegetable stock
1 small French stick
100g Emmental (or other good melt-y cheese)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Peel the onions, half them - root to tip - and place them on a roasting tray. Chop the butter into pieces then add it to the tray and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the onions are soft. Turn them if some parts start to brown.
Cut the onions into chunks and throw them into a pan. Add in the wine and bring it to the boil. Let it bubble until almost all the wine has gone and then add in the stock. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
**The ‘optional’ bit**
Slice the loaf quite thinly and put under the grill to toast slightly. Remove from the grill, turn them over and scatter with the cheese (to melt it quickly, grate the cheese). Put them back under the grill until the cheese melts, then remove and float on top of the soup. Serve immediately.
Edinburgh-dwelling, baking and food-obsessed, twenty-something adventure enthusiast. Runs on liberal amounts of coffee, cheese, cake and gin; bribable with same.
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