Bon Appetiteeeeeee

I am not going to turn this blog into a sad attempt at duplicating Julie Powell's now infamous project. I read the book, and I loved it*. I saw the movie, and I hated it. My husband went to high school with Julie Powell, they still keep in touch, so that's all weird.

But nobody, I repeat, nobody does French Onion Soup like Mrs. Julia Child.

...and I wanted French Onion Soup. It's finally chilly enough in Austin to fully appreciate a bowl of warm, cheesy, oniony soup. So, I busted out the copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and set myself to three hours of quality kitchen time with Julia. 

I do not suggest attempting to make French Onion Soup in a cast iron skillet. I quickly realized my error, and switched to a 4 quart All Clad Simmer/Saute, but the photo was too ridiculous to discard. 

Three and half hours later, voila.

Soup is on, my friends

Julia Child's Soupe à L’oignon – French Onion Soup

6-8 servings
The onions for an onion soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor which characterizes a perfect brew. You should therefore count on 2 1/2 hours at least from start to finish. Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended. 

Ingredients:

5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 quarts beef stock, boiling

1/2 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons cognac

4-6 rounds of hard-toasted French bread

1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. Cook the onions slowly in the butter and oil in a covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium and stir in the salt and sugar. The sugar will help the onions to brown. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a deep golden brown.
   
2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir over heat for 3 minutes. Off heat, blend in the stock. Add the wine and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for another 30-40 minutes or more, skimming if needed. Correct seasonings.
   
3. Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Place rounds of bread in soup bowls or a tureen and pour soup on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese and brown under a hot broiler until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

*I also suggest reading, if you have not, My Life in France by Julia Child (aka: the Other book upon which that movie was based)