Thursday, November 27, 2014

French Onion Soup For Two In An Electric Frying Pan


French Onion Soup For Two In An Electric Frying Pan

My husband has been wanting broth-based soups lately. He’s always had a love of French Onion Soup so I picked up a hunk of Gruyere cheese. (I told the deli guy I wanted about a two inch hunk. He said he had a precut one that is about 3 inches and he’d give it to me for the 2” price. I said that wasn’t necessary because of his thoughtfulness I’d be happy to pay the 3” price. He charged the 2” price and I’ll go back as they were nice.) 

It was a Friday night after a long day and a trip out in rush hour traffic for an errand. I thought maybe trying the French Onion Soup for the first time might be too much. I glanced over the recipe I had been cobbling together from several recipes I’d been looking at. Pretty easy, I thought. So into the frying pan went ¼ cup butter and 1 Tablespoon cooking oil (I was out of olive oil). While heating it, I cut a large sweet onion in half then from the flat edges made thin slices so the onion fell apart into strips. I added the onion to the melted butter/oil now heated. Just until translucent, the recipe instructed, not browned. As it translucented itself. I took out my thyme (an herb I’m using more lately) a 32 oz. box of lower sodium beef broth. I added the herb to my onions first to bring out its fragrance (salute to Indian cuisine for teaching me that). Then, I added the broth and set it to simmer for 30 minutes.

While simmering I grated my Gruyere and mad ¼ inch slices of the mini baguette that I picked up at Whole Foods last night. I moved the oven rack up for broiling. After the simmering was done I ladled the soup into the thick white soup bowls I’d bought for pot pies, a perfect venue. I laid three slices of baguette on top of the broth and heaped grated Gruyere on top of that. Under the broiler, and I watched until the cheese started to brown. Voila! French Onion Soup. We loved it. 

French Onion Soup

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil (I used cooking oil)
1 large sweet onion, cut into strips
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt to taste
Pepper If you like
1 32 oz. box or or close to equivalent of beef broth ( I used lower sodium and added salt to taste)

Grated Gruyere
1/4' slices of small baguette bread or slices of a larger baguette cut into chunks

Instructions
Heat the butter and oil on med low while slicing the onion. Slice the onion in half and then make thin slices starting from the flat sides of the halves so the onion falls into strips. Add the onion to the butter/oil. Cook the onion until translucent not browned. 

Add the thyme and stir into onions to bring out it's fragrance. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt, add more if desired. Simmer for 30 minutes. 

Top the hot onions and broth with the baguette slices and heap grated Gruyere on top.
Place under the broiler until the cheese startes to brown. 

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