LIFESTYLE: IN THE KITCHEN: An ecstasy of onions à la française

By Faith Bahadurian Special Writer
    I am not nearly the soup lover that many of my friends are, but I’ve had a long love affair with onion soup. Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée was one of the first things I made from Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in the late 1960s. I made rich brown stock from roasted beef shins, veal bones, and vegetables, then made the soup the next day.
    Until recently, few restaurant versions I tried have measured up. Most tasted like bouillon cubes or acrid soup base. They were drowned in way too much cheese, just like so much Mexican food is. These versions were an insult, so I just didn’t order onion soup anywhere for many years.
    But recently I have been trying it in various restaurants, and I think the overall quality is going up, now that diners are more knowledgeable, and therefore demanding, about their food and ingredients.
    First was the Indian Rock Inn, in Upper Black Eddy. Enthusiastic friends took me there, and the menu offered the classic au gratin version, or one called “Boulder Style with Bleu & Provolone cheese.” I am a huge fan of blue cheese, so gave it a try, and was surprised by how good it was. Sacrebleu!
    Encouraged, I tried the “Kingston ‘casalinga’ Onion Soup” on the menu at the recently opened Eno Terra restaurant. Their version, made with red onions, was light and lovely, and even included a whisper-thin slice of crispy pancetta under the Fontina cheese. Now I make my own version, pictured here, the same way, crisping up the pancetta or prosciutto in a frying pan.
    Next up was the Onion Soup au Gratin at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Even though the chain is upscale, I had some reservations, but found their version good and hearty, with a noticeable dash of brandy. There was maybe a little too much cheese, but this is, after all, an over-the-top kind of place.
    Finally, my birthday dinner was at Sophie’s Bistro with the same friends who introduced me to the Indian Rock Inn. Sophie’s classic Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée offered just the right balance of onions, toast, and cheese — I would guess Gruyère.
    My next one is already on the horizon at the new Rocky Hill Inn Eatery & Tavern, where I couldn’t resist trying the onion tart instead of the soup during my first visit. But next time, I’m diving into the soup!
SOUPE À L’OIGNON GRATI NÉE
adapted from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,”
Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Si mone Beck,
Knopf, 1967
Makes 6-8 servings.
Note: Ever the pragmatist, Ms. Child used ingredients American cooks in the 1960s could find. So she suggests Swiss or Parmesan cheese, although now I would use imported Gruyère or Emmentaler. Her recipe also allowed the use of canned beef bouillon in a pinch, but now we have much better quality (and lower salt) beef stock available in shelf stable boxes. F.B.
1½ pounds or about 5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
    3 tablespoons butter
    1 tablespoon oil
    1 teaspoon salt
    ¼ teaspoon sugar
    3 tablespoons flour
    2 quarts boiling brown stock or best quality beef broth
    ½ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
    Salt and pepper to taste
    3 tablespoons cognac
12-16 slices of skinny French bread, cut 3/4-1 inch thick and toasted in a 325 degree oven until dry
    1 garlic clove, cut in half (optional)
    Few drops of olive oil (optional)
    1 to 2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in a covered saucepan for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.
    Off heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Add the wine and season to taste. Simmer, partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning. Just before serving, stir in the cognac.
    Preheat oven broiler. Pour soup into oven-proof bowls sitting on a shallow baking sheet.
    Rub toasted bread with a cut clove of garlic and anoint with a few drops of olive oil if desired. Float a couple of bread toasts on each bowl, and sprinkle grated cheese on toasts. Broil until bubbly on top.
MONTMARTRE ONION SOUP
from “French Vegetarian Cook ing,”
Paola Gavin, M. Evans, 1995
Serves 4.
3 tablespoons olive oil
    2 large onions, thinly sliced
    2 tablespoons flour
    ½ cup dry white wine
    5 cups hot vegetable stock or water
    2 egg yolks
    2 tablespoons light cream
    A grating of nutmeg
    Salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    4 slices of whole wheat bread, cut in to croutons and dried in a 375 degree oven
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook onions over a moderate heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are softened and starting to turn golden. Stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute without browning. Gradually pour in the wine, stirring constantly, then pour in the hot stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. The soup will be slightly thickened.
    Beat the egg yolks and cream together in a bowl. Add a ladleful of hot soup into the egg and cream mixture, then stir it back into the soup. Season with nutmeg and salt and black pepper to taste. Heat thoroughly, but to not boil or soup will curdle. Serve hot with croutons.