Recipes
We plan to share our database of recipes here, but in the mean time, here's one to tide you over.
French Onion Soup Gratinée
Sienna’s combination of the Generous Servings and Alton Brown recipes
5 medium onions (combination of red and sweet onions)
3 Tbsp. butter
salt
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
1/2 bottle dry red wine
Bouquet garni (2 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, and parsley tied together with kitchen string)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
ground black pepper
cognac (optional)
1 baguette
8 ounces gruyère cheese
Trim the ends off each onion then halve lengthwise. Remove peel and finely slice into half moon shapes. Melt butter in Dutch oven (or large soup kettle) over medium heat. Add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and syrupy. This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning.
Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency. Add chicken and beef broths, remaining red wine, and bouquet garni. Scrape pot bottom with spoon to loosen brown bits, and bring to simmer. Simmer to blend flavors – 20-30 minutes.
Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler. Cut baguette in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks, about 1/2 inch thick. If using fresh bread, place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute or so to dry and toast. Bread that is a few days old does not need to be toasted.
Remove bouquet garni and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and (optionally) cognac. At this point, the soup may be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days; return to a simmer before finishing. To finish, ladle soup into small ramekins leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and cover with grated gruyère cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Serves approximately 4-6.