RECIPES

FRENCH ONION SOUP ( A Fooody tested recipe)

This recipe is based on the French method and is easy and very tasty. (serves 4)

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons of butter
2  tablespoons of white flour
4-5 onions, peeled and sliced into thin rings
41/2 cups of beef stock (beef Bovril works well - mix as directed on the bottle)
2 cloves of garlic - peeled and smashed [optional] - use to rub on the bread slices
8 slices of a crusty baguette loaf bread - cut to 2.5 cm thickness
200 g of Gruyere cheese grated or sliced into 1 cm thick strips  [mozzarella cheese can be substituted]

Instructions:
1.   Slice the onions into thin rings while the butter is melting in a deep frying pan on medium heat.
2.   Place the onions into the hot pan and stir into the butter and cook them in the hot butter - once the onions begin to cook lower the heat to a simmer and cover to let the onions cook in their own juices.

3. Cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes and prepare the beef stock in a medium pot.

4.  After the onions have simmered, remove from the heat and stir in the flour to mix with the onions.

5.  Place back on the heat and slowly add the beef broth while stirring the onions to mix well.  When all of the broth has been added, bring the mixture to a gentle boil while mixing, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

6.   Prepare the oven proof onion soup bowls by placing some of the cheese in the bottom of the bowl.  Slice the baguette into 2.5 cm slices.

7.   Carefully add the broth onion mixture from the pan to fill all 4 bowls evenly to a depth 2 - 3 cm below the top of the bowls and float 2 slices of bread on top.

8.   Place the cheese on top of the floating bread evenly and put the bowls under a broiler in the oven for 3 - 5 minutes.

9.   Voila!!  French onion soup!!

10.  This is the most important step - begin the whole process by opening a bottle of wine and sipping on it while you cook.

(Recipe adapted from The Complete Cookbook. Pub. by Colour Library Books. ed: David Gibbon.  Surrey England: 1985)