Bar Bouluds French Onion Soup Recipes

BAR BOULUD'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Method: Melt the butter in a large casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Put the garlic and sliced onions into the pot then immediately season with salt and pepper. Cook the onions until they have softened and released all excess water (about 10 minutes). Bring the heat down to low and allow the onions to caramelize slowly, stirring often, until they become a deep caramel color. This process should take about 40 minutes (depending on your onions, you might need even more time to color them seriously-be patient). Dust the onions with the flour and cook, still stirring, for an additional 5 minutes to toast the flour. Be sure to incorporate it thoroughly.
• Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the wine evaporates almost completely.
• Take 2 sprigs Italian parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 8 black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, and tie in cheesecloth to create herb sachet.
• Cover the onions with the stock and toss in the herb sachet. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 60-90 minutes, or until the soup has a deep flavor. Make certain to skim the soup often as it cooks.
• If you're not serving the soup immediately, set it aside to cool, then cover and chill it; the soup can be kept in the refrigerator overnight. Once the soup is cold, spoon off and discard any fat on the surface. Reheat before serving.).
• At serving time, toast the slices of bread-you can do this under the broiler.
• To Serve: Pour the soup into a large oven-proof serving bowl or into individual ovenproof bowls. Cover the toasted slices of bread with grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese, float the bread in the soup, and run the soup under the broiler until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

FAMOUS BARR'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Peel onions and slice 1/8 inch thick, preferably in a food processor.
• Melt butter in a 6-quart (or larger) stockpot. Add onions; cook, uncovered, over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• (The long cooking time makes the onions mellow and sweet.) Stir in pepper, paprika and bay leaf; saute over low heat 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.
• Pour in 6 cans broth and wine. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
• Dissolve flour in remaining 1 can broth.
• Stir into boiling soup.
• Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
• Adjust color to a rich brown with caramel coloring, season with salt. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, heat soup in microwave or on stove top.
• If desired, pour into ovenproof crocks or bowls.
• Top with a slice of bread and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Heat under the broiler until cheese melts and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
• Leftover soup can be frozen.

THE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a very large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and light golden-brown, about 1 hour. (The onions will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and turn brown after about 30 minutes; just keep scraping them up and stirring them into the rest of the onions. If they are browning to quickly, lower the heat.)
• Add the wine to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until it has almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors come together and the soup is rich, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Keep the soup warm on a low burner or cool completely and refrigerate to reheat later. (The soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
• Preheat the broiler. Place four soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and fill them about 3/4 of the way with hot soup. Float a slice of baguette on top of each and cover with 1/2 cup Gruyere. Broil until the Gruyere is golden brown (don't be alarmed if some soup bubbles out), 2 to 3 minutes.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and cut the onions into slices to measure 4 cups. In a 4-quart nonstick Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in onions to coat with butter. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered 35 to 40 minutes longer, stirring well every 5 minutes, until onions are deep golden brown (onions will shrink during cooking).
• Stir in broth, water, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Heat to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cover with lid; simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the Gruyère cheese by rubbing it across the largest holes of a grater to measure 1 cup; set aside.
• You may need to move the oven rack so it is near the broiler. Set the oven control to broil. On a cookie sheet, place the bread slices. Broil with tops about 5 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn bread over; broil 1 to 2 minutes longer until golden brown. Place toasted bread in 4 ovenproof bowls or individual ceramic casseroles (do not use glass, which cannot withstand heat of broiler and may break).
• Remove bay leaf from soup. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with Gruyère cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place bowls in pan with shallow sides.
• Broil soup bowls with tops about 5 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or just until cheese is melted and golden brown. Watch carefully so cheese does not burn. Serve with additional French bread if desired.