Soup a L'oignon

It is cold again up here. I suppose that is when I like to cook most. And when we found Gruyere cheese for sale at Whole Foods we had to make French onion soup. The recipe is from Julia Child and it is very easy aside from the time it takes to actually cook. I encourage you to try it. It was the best French onion soup I've ever had.

1 1/2 pounds yellow onions (or 4 large)

3 tbs. butter

1 tbs. oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

3 tbs. flour

1 qt. stock (beef or chicken)

1 qt. water

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 oz. cognac or brandy

old bread (I recommend a nice crusty sourdough loaf)

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

*please, go out and find Gruyere. It must say "Gruyere" - don't use anything else.

Chop the onions in thin strips. I halve and peel them, then simply slice them so they make little half moons. Melt the butter and oil in a heavy bottomed stock pot, add the onions and cook on low for 15 minutes with the cover on.

Uncover, raise the heat to medium, add salt and sugar, and cook the onions for 30-40 minutes. You will need to stir them every so often. And I encourage you not to have the heat too high. You are slowly developing color at this point not sprinting for the caramelized finish.

While the onions brown heat up your water and stock. You want to add it to the stock pot when it is boiling so as not to arrest the cooking process. If you have any beef stock to hand, I recommend it rather than chicken as it adds more color and flavour to the soup.

When the onions are a nice golden color, and the stock is hot (but not yet added); sprinkle the 3 tbs. flour over the onions and stir frequently for 3 minutes. Now it is time to add the stock - boiling hot mind you to prevent flour clumps from forming. And I recommend initially adding a cupful at a time and stirring it well. Once you think the flour has been incorporated - pour in the remaining stock. Add the white wine and bring the soup to a low simmer and cook partially covered for another 30-40 minutes.

Grate your cheese and cut a 1/4 inch slice of sourdough for each soup bowl. Find oven safe bowls and turn on your broiler. Taste your soup first, and add any extra salt if necessary. Ladle it into the bowls. You can under fill it so that you don't have the hazard of burning yourself with boiling hot soup. I left a good three quarters of an inch. Plonk your bread slice on top and smother the soup with gruyere.

Place the bowls on a tray under the broiler and crack the oven door so that you can watch them. The cheese will first melt, the it will begin to bubble. You may wish to gingerly slide out the tray and check for browning; but it could take a good five or ten minutes. If the soup is browning unevenly, rotate the bowls on the tray.

We served the bowls on plates so that we didn't have to worry about scorching ourselves.

Enjoy!

Squash and radicchio risotto

We're ending the blog hiatus with a cooking entry. It is freezing in Boston, well it could be worse; but I should get some slack for coming here from Phoenix. The weather has made stodgy filling comforting dishes in high demand at our household. We're all trying to put on winter "coats" or rather fill out to keep warm. Living way up here in the wilds of New England where there is snow on the ground and positively nothing growing I am acutely aware of the produce in the grocery store. Where on earth are these tomatoes coming from?...And while truly ameliorating this worry would mean eating only roots and tubers, I am happy enough to stick to foods that tolerate a colder growing season. Seems reasonable, right? So here is to starchy wintery food!

6 cups stock

1 cup cooked squash (I used Butternut)

1 head radicchio, cut into wedges 1 to 2 inches wide

evoo

salt and pepper

balsamic vinegar

3 Tbs. butter

1 onion, diced

1 1/2 cup arborio rice

1 cup parmesan

Before I begin I should give credit to Deborah Madison for this wonderful recipe.

Whenever you have the time and the oven is on perhaps for something else, halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, spread oil on the cut side and place it, cutside down on a baking sheet in the oven. The best temps for roasting are anywhere between 325 and 375, with 350 being ideal. It is finished when it is tender to the touch - about 45 min. Scoop out the cooked flesh and mash it with a fork. You only need 1 cup for this recipe so if you have extra put it in a plastic bag and freeze it for the next batch of wonderful risotto. Before beginning the remaining recipe be sure your stock is steaming but not simmering on a neighboring burner. In a warmed skillet, medium heat, with 1 Tbs. of oil sautee the radicchio until it is wilted and just browning. Take it off the heat and splash it with balsamic vinegar, between 2 and 3 Tbs, if you need a measurement. Chop your onion while you melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion to the skillet and cook it until it is translucent and wilty. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it in the fat.

Here Ms. Madison departs from what I know as conventional risotto making technique. I'm sure both methods would be acceptable. She advises turning the heat on the skillet to high and adding 2 cups of stock. Cook the rice at a boil, stirring occassionally. I turned the heat down at this point and continued at the normal simmer of risotto.

When you are 2/3 the way through your stock it is time to add your mashed squash to the risotto. Simply stir until it is well combined. When the rice has reached the right consistency add your radicchio, turn off the heat, stir in the cheese, and taste then season with pepper and salt (if needed).

You are done, and if you are eating it somewhere cold like I am you will probably enjoy it wrapped in blankets in front of the TV. (Or is that just my terrible habit?)