French Onion Soup

All of the Eastern seaboard is going crazy over Hurricane Irene, expected to hit New York City on Sunday. I had planned to spend Sunday at the beach, but given the weather I’m quickly reevaluating my plans and a cozy home-cooked meal suddenly seems like a great idea. I loved Sam's summery gazpacho post earlier, so here's a complementary recipe that's perfect when it's rainy. But I have to warn you that your apartment – and yourself – will smell like onions for days afterward. Not exactly ideal when you’re cooped up.


French Onion Soup
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients:
5 medium white or yellow onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dry sherry or cognac
3 ½ cups broth
French bread
1 ½ cups Gruyere cheese
thyme
salt
pepper

Directions:
Thinly slice 5 medium onions.

Put 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is melted.

Add the sliced onions and a pinch of thyme (dried or fresh). Keep cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

When the onions start to brown, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a rich brown (about 40 minutes).

Stir in 2 tablespoons dry sherry or cognac, increase heat to high and cook to evaporate the alcohol.

Add 3 ½ cups of your favorite broth. I use chicken, but beef is traditional and has a fuller flavor. Vegetable broth works too if you’re serving vegetarians.

Turn up the heat and cover to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.

Add salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper (about ¼ teaspoon).

Note: Everything up to this point can be done in advance, since it takes so long to cook down the onions. I like to make it the day before when I have guests coming to dinner, then finish with the final steps right before people arrive. Trust me though that you don’t want to rush the onion-cooking process – it’s what gives the soup such great flavor.

Take about 8 ramekins and pour in the soup so that each is about ¾ full. Add a slice of good toasted French bread to the top of each, and sprinkle (or heap) grated Gruyere cheese on top (about 3 tablespoons per ramekin).

Put the ramekins on a cookie sheet and broil until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve hot!