Two PATHS to
FRENCH ONION SOUPWhat’s French onion soup doing in a book of American
food, you might ask? Here’s the answer: my goal is to wean
you off of those little packets of powdered brown stuff to
show you that with science at your side, making real
caramelized onions, and French onion soup, is not nearly as
time-consuming or difficult as you think!
There is certainly no shortage of recipes for French onion
soup out there, and the general method begins with the same
basic technique: cook down finely sliced onions over low,
low heat so their natural sugars slowly and evenly
caramelize. Once the onions are completely broken down to
a deep brown, jam-like consistency, just add stock, a splash
of sherry, and a couple of aromatics, simmer it down,
season with a bit of salt and pepper, and serve with cheesy
croutons.
It’s a simple process, and the results are infinitely better
than any commercial version, but it’s a major pain in the
cul. All that slow caramelizing takes a good 3 to 4 hours of
constant pot babysitting. Let it go just a bit too long or step
away for 5 minutes, and you’ve burnt your onions, making
the final product too bitter to use.
As with exercise and marriage, I often think about how
great it’d be if there were a method that could deliver the
exact same (or better!) results without the massive time
commitment. The bad news? After several months (OK,