NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It's my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian 'Quote Cup' passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness."~ Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha
Our snowy Christmas caused many changes in plans…but with letting go of plans and embracing new opportunities also comes unexpected pleasures. I know we ended up spending more relaxed time cozied up inside than planned…as well as enjoying walking in the beautifully falling snow…ahhh, the joys of winter in the northland.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This week's hearty soup recipe from Cooks Illustrated is one that seems perfect for a wintry, snowy day. What really sets this recipe apart is caramelizing the onions in the oven…makes the onions more flavorful, and you don't have to constantly stir them. I don't have a Dutch oven I can put in the oven so prepared the onions in a large stir-fry pan, then cooked in a crock pot after finishing the caramelizing. I didn't have any sherry on hand the day I made it so omitted it and it was still delicious. I don't have broiler crocks, so melted the cheese on the bread and topped the soup with the cheesy croutons…also works great to heat leftovers (flavor is even better!) and melt cheese in microwave.
THE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP
based on recipe from Cooks Illustrated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
- 6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved cut pole to pole, then each half cut into quarters (make sure to use YELLOW onions, sweet onions such as Vidalia or Walla Walla will make soup too sweet)
- Table salt
- 2 cups water, plus extra for de-glazing
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (Swanson Certified Organic Free Range)
- 2 cups beef broth (Pacific)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
- 1 bay leaf
- Ground black pepper
- 1 small baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Generously spray the inside of a large fry pan or Dutch oven that can go into the oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place the butter in the pan and add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour (the onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove the pot from the oven and stir the onions, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot. Return to the oven with the lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring the onions and scraping bottom and sides of the pot after 1 hour.
Using oven mitts to handle pot, remove from oven and place over medium-high heat. Cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until the liquid evaporates and the onions brown, 15-20 minutes, adjusting heat if necessary to avoid burning. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pot bottom is coated with a dark crust, roughly 6-8 minutes.
Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping the pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6-8 minutes. Repeat process of de-glazing 2-3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in the sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes. (At this point I transferred everything to a crock pot to finish cooking.)
Stir in the broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.
While the soup simmers, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven until the bread is dry, crisp and golden at the edges, about 10 minutes.
To serve, adjust oven rack about 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Fill broiler-safe crocks with soup and top with baguette slice(s) in single layer, sprinkle with Gruyere. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges, 3-5 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before serving. (If you don't have crocks, broil the cheese-topped baguette slices until cheese melts and top bowls of soup.)
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – Email – HomesMSP.com
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