French Onion Soup (Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée) Recipe

 

French Onion Soup

(Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée)

One of the most common beliefs surrounding French onion soup is that the onions must be cooked to a deep, deep, dark, dark mahogany brown.  It's not that I think it's wrong to caramelize the onions dark; I just don't think it's necessary for great results. I also think there's a big risk in going very dark: Unless you're exceedingly careful, it's very easy to introduce unpleasantly bitter flavors to the onion—one of the culprits in so much of the bad French onion soup out there.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, plus more for bread
3 pounds (1.4kg) yellow or mixed onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick (see note)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, divided
1/2 cup (120ml) dry sherry (such as Amontillado)
2 quarts (1.8L) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon (5ml) Asian fish sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon (5ml) cider vinegar
8 bowl-size slices rustic bread, toasted until crisp
1 medium clove garlic
1 pound (450g) Gruyère cheese, grated
2 tablespoons freshly minced chives, for garnish

Directions
In a large stainless steel saucepan, or in 2 large stainless steel or cast iron skillets, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. 

Lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are very sweet and a rich golden-brown color, 1 to 2 hours. 

If browned onion juices on bottom of pot threaten to burn, add 1 tablespoon (15ml) water, scrape up browned bits, and continue cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

Add sherry and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. (If using 2 skillets, divide sherry between them, then scrape onions and liquid from both pans into a pot or Dutch oven to continue.) 

Cook until alcohol smell is mostly gone, about 3 minutes. Add stock, thyme, and bay leaf; raise heat to medium-high; and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add fish sauce, if using, and cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

Preheat broiler and adjust oven rack to top position. Butter toasts and rub with garlic clove until fragrant. Spoon a small amount of broth into the bottoms of 4 ovenproof serving bowls, then top with half the toasts. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top of toasts, then spoon more soup and onions on top, nearly filling bowls. Set remaining 4 toasts in bowls, pushing to nearly submerge them. Top with remaining grated cheese and set bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until cheese is melted and browned in spots. Garnish with chives and serve.

Special Equipment:   Rimmed baking sheet, large stainless steel or cast iron saucepan

Notes  Yellow onions are your best all-purpose bet for this soup, but a mix of yellow, sweet (e.g., Vidalia), and red onions, as well as shallots, produces an even more complex flavor.

Corn Risotto NYT

 

Corn Risotto              

Ingredients
For the Risotto
6 cups corn stock (see recipe below) or chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups raw corn kernels (from about 2 ears corn)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced chives

For the corn stock, optional
2 corn cobs (kernels removed and reserved for risotto)
1 onion, cut into quarters
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 celery rib, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
Dark green leaves from 1 leek (reserve white and light green parts for risotto)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions
Bring the corn stock or chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan and keep it simmering as you prepare the risotto.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a wide, high-sided sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains look slightly translucent.

Pour in wine and cook, stirring, until it has all been absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add a ladleful of hot corn stock to the rice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed all of the stock. Continue cooking, adding ladlefuls of stock whenever rice mixture looks dry and stirring continuously. When half the stock has been added, stir in corn. 

Continue cooking until all of the stock is incorporated, corn is tender and rice is creamy and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes total.

Remove risotto from heat and stir in Parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream at high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Uncover risotto, stir vigorously and season to taste with salt and pepper. Immediately before serving, stir in the chives, if using, then gently fold in cream.

For the corn stock optional:
Combine all ingredients with 6 cups water in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat so liquid is simmering; cover pot and let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Add enough water to bring liquid up to 6 cups.

Potato Galette With Smoked Salmon

Potato Galettes With Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

2 large russet Baking potatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Canola oil

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 tablespoons creme fraiche

1/2 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon

Minced fresh chives, for serving

Directions:

Peel the potatoes an slice then lengthwise in long matchsticks using the julienne blade of a mandolin.  Spread the potatoes out neatly in one layer a clean kitchen towel or paper towels roll the towel up and squeeze tightly to dry the potatoes without breaking them up.  Put the potatoes in a bowl and toss them with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small 8-inch omletet pan or a saute pan with sloped sides over medium heat.  Add half of the potatoes to the pan and press slightly to make the shreds lie flat.  Cook them undisturbed for 5 minutes.  Drizzle one tablespoon of the butter around the edge of the pan and cook the potatoes and cook another three to five minutes until nucely browned on the bottom.  Loosen the galette gently around the edge and flip it over.  (Be careful the oil and butter underneath are very hot.)Add amnother tablespoon butter around the edges and cook the galette for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the second side is nicely browned.  With the metal spatula, transfer the galette to a paper-towel lined plate and set aside.  Repeat with the rest of the potatoes and butter and makes a second galette.

Place the two galettes on a cutting board.  Spread each galette wiith 2 tablespoons creme fraiche and a layer of smoked salmon covering the galette completely  Sprinkle with the minced chives and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Use a large chefs knife to cut each galette into 6 wedges and serve hot.