Captain Dons Onion Soup With Garlic Flavored Croutons Recipes

ONE-POT FRENCH ONION SOUP WITH GARLIC-GRUYèRE CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over high heat. Add the oxtail (or beef shoulder) in a single layer (work in batches, if necessary to avoid crowding the pan), and sear until the undersides are brown (do not turn). Season generously with salt and transfer to a plate.
• Coarsely chop two of the onions; add to the pot, along with the celery, carrots, bay leaves and thyme. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Return the beef to the pot. Pour in 8 cups water. Simmer mixture gently until the meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer beef to a bowl to cool for another use. Strain liquid into a bowl over a fine-mesh sieve; press gently on the solids with the back of a spatula to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard the solids; you should have about 10 cups broth (add water if necessary to equal 10 cups).
• Halve the remaining 6 onions through the root end, then peel and thinly slice them lengthwise. Melt the butter in the bottom of the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, tossing occasionally, until deep golden-brown and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Pour in the port and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and simmer mixture over low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and lemon juice, if desired. (For a smaller group, you could refrigerate some of the soup and reheat it later.)
• While the broth simmers, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast until golden, about 12 minutes. Rub the garlic halves over the surface of the bread.
• Heat the broiler and arrange a rack 4 to 6 inches from the flame. Using a cheese slicer, thinly slice 3 ounces of Gruyère. Coarsely grate the remaining cheese. Float the broiled bread over the surface of the hot soup. Layer the cheese slices over the bread; scatter the grated cheese over it. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and broil until cheese is golden and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes (watch to see that it does not burn).
• To serve, use kitchen shears or scissors to cut the bread and cheese into portions. Ladle soup, bread and cheese into individual bowls.

CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large (10-inch) saute pan until hot. Add the bread and cook over medium heat, tossing frequently, until the bread is evenly toasted and browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

SPRING ONION SOUP WITH GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Make the garlic croutons:
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. With a serrated knife remove the crust from the bread, discarding it, and cut the bread into 3/4-inch cubes. In a shallow baking pan arrange the bread cubes in one layer, bake them in the middle of the oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden, and transfer the croutons to a large bowl. In a skillet cook the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is golden and with a slotted spoon discard the garlic. Drizzle the oil over the croutons, tossing to coat them well, and sprinkle the croutons with salt to taste.
• Make the soup:
• In a kettle cook the onions in the butter and the oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are soft and pale golden, add the garlic, and cook the mixture for 3 minutes. Stir in the vermouth and boil the mixture until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add the broth, the bitters, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer the soup for 5 minutes. The soup may be made up to this point 2 days in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated. Stir in the scallion.
• Serve the soup topped with the croutons.