Recipe: La Baguette's French Onion Soup

LA BAGUETTE'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

6 cups (2 pounds) thinly sliced yellow onions
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc), optional
10 cups boiling chicken stock
2 teaspoons black or white pepper, or to taste
French-bread croutons
1/2 pound genuine Gruyre or Austrian Swiss cheese, grated

Cook onions in butter, covered, over medium-low heat until moisture forms and onions are transparent but not brown, about 20 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium and cook 45 minutes or longer, stirring often, until liquid has evaporated and onion's natural sugars caramelize; onions should be dark golden-brown. Add wine and bring to boil. Add chicken stock; simmer 2 hours, covered with lid partially ajar, on low heat.

Refrigerate, uncovered (to prevent stock from souring) overnight. When cold, skim congealed butter off top.

Before serving, add pepper to taste and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Place broiler-proof bowls on baking sheet. Fill each with soup and top with croutons and a handful of cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 5 minutes.

The secret is cooking the onions and chicken stock for two days," says owner Earl Turnipseed. "No one wants to do that."

Now don't take Turnipseed's comment too literally. While you'll be doing some cooking on both days, what you really need is patience: The key to flavor success is letting the soup rest overnight in the 'fridge.

"Refrigerate the soup uncovered overnight," he says. "Leaving the soup uncovered keeps it from souring and the next day the layer of butter that congeals on top can be easily removed."

Serves 8
Source: La Baguette
From: Colorado Springs Gazette, 9/1/2001