Temperatures have finally cooled down in Austin (thank goodness) and the damp, chilly day we were lucky enough to have yesterday called for soup. I had decided to make french onion soup, after I was told that the French Onion that was being offered by our brunch spot was “just not right today.” So I did not get my soup fix and immediately started pining for french onion soup. French onion, next to tomato soup, is the epitome of comfort in my opinion. I love it so much and it can be so pesky to get right (for home cooks and restaurants alike). I made up my mind that I would make some incredible little bowls of sweet onion and rich broth with gooey cheese and toasted bread and had many glamorous thoughts about sitting by a stone fireplace in the mountains, snow falling outside, all snug in a onesie and pink uggs, slowly breathing in the luxurious aroma onions and broth before devouring it. The fantasy ends with me licking my chops and magically losing 10 pounds because of the magic powers the soup possesses (and maybe a glass of real hot chocolate). Sounds great, right? Back in reality…I had a couple mimosas during brunch yesterday and I suppose this really threw me off my game. I seemed to make a lot of errors in the soup (though it really did smell good) and also did not use ingredients that I normally would have. End result was a quite tasty soup, it was just a bit different from the version I had been fantasizing about. No worries though, I think I may just make it again tomorrow night….and maybe two days after that as well. Welcome to the fall =)

There are three things that are essential for french onion soup or, more accurately, mind-blowingly awesome french onion soup: Properly caramelized onions; homemade beef stock; a variety of onions. I did not have that latter two elements and for some reason my onions never caramelized (which was strange). It seemed that there was too much natural moisture in the onions, which does not normally affect cooking but when trying to caramelize I suppose it can? I plan to just keep trying! I also got a bit heavy-handed (read: wow did I screw up) on the thyme and so the soup was quite earthy and less heavenly. Here is the recipe for the good, but less traditional french onion soup I made last night….keep your eye out for another recipe that will likely be coming soon!

French Onion Soup

Serves Two

Five large sweet onions
One medium red onion (optional – Needed to use one)
Two large shallots (optional – I just had some)
One and one half cups dry white wine
Three cups chicken or beef stock (I only had chicken)
Bouqi Garni with Sprig of Rosemary, Three Sprigs Thyme, One Bay Leaf, and One Sage leaf (sage optional) – all freshly picked
Four tablespoons butter
Small amount of sugar
Pinch Salt
Pepper to taste
One Loaf of thick, crusty bread – sliced one inch thick
Four slices of smoked Fontina Cheese
Splash of Sherry or Cognac (optional)

Slice onions in half, then slice the half into 1/8 inch slices (approximately). Heat oil or butter in a large saute pan or dutch oven. Once a medium-low heat is achieved, put onions into the pan and stir well to coat. After a couple of minutes add salt and sugar. Stir well. Return to pan every few minutes to check and make sure that the onions are not burning (add more oil, butter, or a little water or broth in the event that they do begin to burn). The goal is to have onions brown and stick to the pan without burning. Stir every few minutes for about a half hour, then lower heat and continue cooking for about an hour continuing to stir and adjust according to brownness. Eventually, the onions will be a rich, dark brown color. Once caramelization is achieved, hit the pan with a splash of cognac or sherry and allow the alcohol to cook off. Then add the stock, wine, pepper, and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for at least 15 minutes, test for taste and then cook as long as desired to develop more flavors.

Toast bread until brown and ladle the soup into ramekins. Place one slice of bread on top of the soup in each bowl, cover with Fontina and bake at 410 degrees (on the top rack) until cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned. (I did not do this and simply added a small piece of cheese toast to the hot soup because a) I did not want too much bread or cheese and b) I had no desire to do more dishes that night).