Je Suis Français

Ou pas. But I am a total Francophile, thanks to some Swiss family members and a French pre-school teacher that wasted no time in teaching me my un, deux, trois. I confess that I’ve enjoyed French cuisine only a handful of times over the years, due primarily to a lack of availability in the south (although, sadly, this seems to be the case in most American cities) and lack of a budget for flying to France on a regular basis.

So it is primarily out of necessity that I’ve mastered a few traditional recipes—I can whip up a cheesy fondue, bake a sink-proof soufle, whisk together a rich béchamel and I shouldn’t have to tell you about my deep and meaningful relationship with crème brulee. But only once in college had I attempted soupe a l'oignon before (that’s what you’d call onion soup if you were in France—you don’t have to say “French,” because, you know… you’re in France). I recently decided to take a second stab at it because of the discovery of a recipe in one of my slow-cooker cookbooks that made it sound terribly easy, and I’m happy to report that it was not only easy but delicious to boot.

My only point of contention with the recipe was that it called for “Swiss” cheese. Gruyère or Emmentaler are much preferable to me, and Gruyère should be procurable in almost any supermarket. I also like a nice Appenzeller, but that may be harder to come by. If you must use Swiss, please, I beg of you, don’t buy the Kraft singles version.

Onion Soup
Serves 4.

2 tbsp. butter
1 ½ lbs. yellow onions, sliced*
½ tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. dry white wine
4 c. beef broth
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 slices of baguette, toasted and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ c. shredded Gruyère, Emmentaler or Appenzeller

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until they’re limp and transparent, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over onions and continue to cook, stirring, until onions are caramelized, 8-10 minutes. Transfer onions to slow cooker. To deglaze pan, add wine and return to medium heat. Scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon and add them to the slow cooker along with the broth. Season to taste with pepper. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours.

When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Divide soup evenly into four individual (oven-safe) bowls and top equally with toasted pieces of baguette and shredded cheese. Place soup bowls on a baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

*Side bar- I guess it’s kind of an anachronism, but Vidalia onions work really well.