(sometime around lunchtime on Tuesday, July 13th 2010)
The Captain: Are you cooking for Bastille Day?
Me: ..... ???
Shamefully, I completely forgot that it was mid-July already so cooking these two French classics on the eve of a French national holiday was purely coincidental! But it comes as no surprise to anybody really, because about 95% of my menu would always involve either French, Spanish, Italian or English food. I'm predictable that way (i.e. boring?). I'm also ashamed to admit that cooking anything remotely related to my Malaysian and Chinese heritage is always regarded as an exotic and ultra rare occurence.
When I need something to soothe a cold, I crave soup. And if I need a pat on the head, I turn to chocolate. French Onion Soup to me is the queen of broths. It is homely, rustic and made with simple ingredients but if you give it a little time and TLC, you'll be richly rewarded. This soup celebrates the sweetness and flavour of onions while a good beef stock will give this a deep and hearty boost. This isn't a subtle chicken soup. It's a flavour punch to your face.
I know the method in this recipe seems a little more labour intensive than normal but trust me when I say it's worth the effort. And before you all yell sacre bleu!, I'm well aware that this isn't the most authentic or traditional of recipes but it's still so so good. The alcohol is purely optional of course so feel free to replace it with more stock.
As for the dessert, clafoutis or flognardes are a firm favourite as you can probably tell and it definitely deserves to be labelled as a "lazy but fabulous" recipe. Cherries are out of season and I just can't bring myself to pay premium price for imported fruit so the stars of this clafoutis comes courtesy of my giant jar of Morello Cherries. Just drain these babies and do a happy dance because you don't have to stand there and pit a whole boxful of cherries yourself!
Finally, a big thank you to the French for teaching us to embrace butter and sumptious desserts. For giving the world brioches, baguettes, macarons and croissants. Also for showing us the beauty of a good glass of burgundy and the magic of boeuf bourguignon. Finally, of course, for bestowing upon us, clafoutis and soupe à l'oignon.
Happy Bastille Day!
(Not so traditional) French Onion Soup
(makes enough for 4 small bowls or 2 very hungry people)
100g unsalted butter, chopped
1 kg brown onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
60ml red wine
60ml sherry
60ml brandy
1 L beef stock (preferably salt reduced. Homemade is even better. Or feel free to replace with vege/chicken stock if you wish)
4 sprigs of thyme
2 small fresh bay leaves (tied in a bunch with the thyme with kitchen twine)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Baguette or French bread stick (sliced on a diagonal thickly)
Gruyere cheese
Note: Be aware if you're using store bought stock (which are usually quite high in sodium) and/or salted butter because this could actually make the soup too salty. Just for this dish, I prefer to use unsalted butter and salt reduced stock so I can easily control the seasoning myself.
Method
Heat butter over medium heat in a large casserole pan or heavy based saucepan and add the onions. Cover with lid and cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until the onions have softened.
Remove the lid and sprinkle over the sugar (this will kickstart the caramelisation). Reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft, golden and caramelised. Don't worry if it starts sticking on the bottom because we want those tasty crusty bits. If you're rushed for time, 30 minutes will be fine but for an even more flavoursome soup, you can cook the onions for up to an hour (some chefs even cook it for up to 5 hours!).
Umm the start of something good here...
This is flavour country, my friends
Deglaze with the red wine, sherry and brandy and simmer for 5 minutes until the alcohol has almost been absorbed. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for all those tasty caramelised bits.
Add the beef stock, 125ml at a time, and simmer for 5 minutes in between or until it has almost evaporated. Repeat three more times until half the stock has been added.
Add the herbs and the remaining 500ml of the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and scrape the base to remove more caramelised bits. Simmer for 30 minutes until it's rich and thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I recommend you taste before you start seasoning). If you prefer a more 'soupy' consistency, simmer for a shorter time or add more stock/water to your taste.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls and place on an oven tray. Top each bowl with baguette slices and scatter with more cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately. If you like you could also add more richness to the soup by adding some cheese to the soup and stirring it over low simmering heat until it has melted and mixed through.
Alternatively, you could grill the baguette slices separately in a broiler or grill until it's melted and toasted. Serve alongside or on top of the soup.
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Chocolate Cherry Clafoutis
70g dark chocolate
60g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
110g caster sugar
300ml pouring cream (35% fat content)
3 eggs
Jar of Morello cherries, drained or fresh, pitted cherries
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 4 x 15cm shallow flan dishes or 6 x 10cm. In a bowl over low simmering water, melt chocolate gently and set aside to cool slightly.
While chocolate is melting, sift together in another large bowl, the flour, cocoa and sugar. In a separate jug or bowl, whisk the cream and eggs until just combined.
Add the cream mix into the flour and lightly stir until just combined. Stir in the melted chocolate.
Scatter the prepared dishes with some drained Morello cherries/fresh cherries. Top with the batter until it comes up halfway (it'll rise a little in the oven). Dot with more cherries and bake for 25-30 minutes until the centres are just cooked (a skewer can have a few moist crumbs stuck onto it). Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately (careful, cherries might be steaming hot inside).
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