The ART of French Onion Soup

Making this soup IS an ART! When you experience a true classic such as a bowl of French Onion Soup everything else doesn't matter. The aroma of garlic and onions slowly carmelizing together filtering through the air sends you! Scents of Old Quebec or a small country bistro in Provence plays into the mind....the smells is divine!

This winter I have been experimenting on getting it right. The first episode was an edible disaster because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand and tried to substitute with spices I thought were in line to the original recipe. Well, think again, it doesn't work that way for everything. Lesson learned! You really need to be organized so tonight I was well prepared making sure I had all the ingredients ready to go.

I used a recipe similar to Martha Stewarts that I've included. This recipe does take a little bit to make, but it is well worth it. I serevd the soup with grilled steak and a salad of fresh greens and tomato with a light balsamic vinegarette. The soup is hearty and would have been plenty on it's own. Oh, well... another lesson learned. Isn't that was life is all about?

Classic French Onion Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds (2 or 3 large) yellow onions, sliced ¼" thick
3 to 4 cloves of garlic
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup dry red wine
3 ½ cups Homemade Beef or Veal Stock
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small baguette, sliced into ½-inch pieces
1 ½ cups grated regular Gruyère
1 ½ cups grated smoked Gruyère

Directions:
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven on medium - medium-low heat.
Add garlic and onions, spreading them out in as thin a layer as possible.
Sprinkle with sugar, and cook, stirring just as needed to keep onions from sticking, until they are soft, golden brown, and just starting to caramelize - about 1 hour.
Sprinkle flour over onions, and stir to coat.
Cook flour for about 5 minutes. Add wine, stock, and thyme, and bring to a simmer.
Cook, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to combine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, lightly toast at least 8 slices of bread under a broiler or in the toaster and set aside.
Ladle hot soup into four ovenproof bowls and arrange on a sturdy baking sheet.
Place 2 -3 slices (depending on size) of toasted bread over each bowl of soup.
Mix together the two grated cheeses and sprinkle ¾ cup over bread in each bowl.
Place soup bowls under the broiler until cheese is melted and crusty brown around the edges.
Watch carefully that bread doesn’t burn.
Serve immediately.
I find this soup to be both rustic and elegant...easy to make and delicious to indulge in.