Onion Soup Les Halles - butter

Method

• PREPARE THE BROTH
• In the large pot, heat the butter over medium heat until it is melted and begins to brown.
• Add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and browned (about 20 minutes).
• Onion soup, unsurprisingly, is all about the onions.
• Make damn sure the onions are a nice, dark, even brown color.
• Increase the heat to medium high and stir in the port and the vinegar, scraping all that brown goodness from the bottom of the pot into the liquid.
• Add the chicken stock.
• Add the bacon and bouquet garni and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, skimming any foam off the top with the ladle.
• Remove the bouquet garni.
• THE CROUTONS AND CHEESE
• When the soup is finished cooking, ladle it into the individual crocks.
• Float two croutons side by side on top of each.
• Spread a generous, even heaping amount of cheese over the top of the soup.
• You want some extra to hang over the edges, as the crispy, near-burnt stuff that sticks to the outer sides of the crocks once it comes out from under the heat is often the best part.
• Place each crock under a preheated, rip-roaring broiler until the cheese melts, bubbles, browns, and even scorches slightly in spots.
• The finished cheese should be a panorama of molten brown hues ranging from golden brown to dark brown to a few black spots where the cheese blistered and burned.
• Serve immediatelyand carefully.
• You dont know pain until youve spilled one of these things in your lap.
• If your broiler is too small or too weak to pull this off, you can try it in a preheated 425F (220C) oven until melted.
• A nice optional move: Once the mound of grated cheese starts to flatten out in the oven, remove each crock and, with a propane torch, blast the cheese until you get the colors you want.
• HALF-ASS ED ALTERNATIVE
• Your broiler sucks.
• Your oven isnt much better.
• Cant find those ovenproof crocks anywhere.
• And you aint ponying up for a damn propane torch, cause your kids got pyromaniac tendencies.
• You can simply toast cheese over the croutons on a sheet pan, and float them as garnish on the soup.
• Not exactly classicbut still good.
• NOTE ON THE PROPANE TORCH
• This is a very handy-dandy piece of equipment, especially if your stove is not the greatest.
• Nearly all professional kitchens have them; theyre not very expensive and they can be used for a variety of sneaky tasks, such as easily caramelizing the top of creme brulee or toasting meringues.