French Onion Soup
Yield: 4 guests/about 1 and 1/2-2 quarts
Time Taken to Prepare:
about 90 minutes
Equipment:
large heavy bottom soup pot
large whisk or large wooden spoon
small pot to heat stock
ladle
sheet pan
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
about 4 medium yellow onions, peeled, halved, and sliced about a quarter-inch thick
1/4 cup sweet port wine (preferred) or sherry
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 qts chicken stock, heated
salt and pepper to taste
4-2 inch by 1 inch French bread slices toasted and then drizzled with olive oil
12 oz (1-1/2 cup) grated Swiss cheese
1 tbsp chopped parsley garnish
Step by step:
1. On a medium-high flame get the oil almost smoking hot and start adding the onions, stirring constantly until they are all inside the pot.
2. Reduce the flame to medium and keep stirring until the onions are caramelizing and becoming dark brown.
3. Add the port and thyme and keep stirring until the port has all but completely evaporated.
4. Add the chicken stock, bring everything to a boil, and reduce the soup in volume by about half. The soup should be very thick with onions, and it should be dark brown in color. Make sure to give the soup a good stir from the bottom from time to time.
5. Ladle the soup into the bowls which have been placed on the sheet pan.
6. Top them with the croutons and then pile them high with the grated cheese.
7. Place under a broiler (or set the oven at 500 degrees) for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts to a golden brown on top.
8. Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven.
Plating:
Place the bowls on liner plates and dust them with chopped parsley.