French Onion Soup
Alton Brown Onion Soup with Apple Cider
Alton Brown is an American author, actor, cinematographer, and food personality. He hosts the Food Network TV show "Good Eats" and commentates on "Iron Chef America." He has also written cookbooks and columns in food magazines and you have probably heard of him before or maybe watched one of his cooking shows.
The following Alton Brown onion soup is made with beef and chicken broth, as well as apple cider for a rich and fruity sweetness. You can either use sweet onions like Vidalia onions in this recipe or a combination of red onions and sweet onions. The apple cider adds a lot of sweetness so using some red onions is maybe a good idea for a more tart flavor.
The cognac is optional but it does add a nice elegant touch to this Alton Brown onion soup. This recipe serves eight people so it is perfect for a dinner party or a special occasion.
Delicious Alton Brown Onion Soup with Cognac
Ingredients -
5 Vidalia onions or a mixture of sweet onions and red onions
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated Gruyere or Fontina cheese
Splash of cognac (optional)
Black pepper, to taste
1 loaf country style bread
10 oz apple cider (unfiltered if possible)
Bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme, and parsley tied with kitchen string)
10 oz beef consommé
10 oz chicken broth
2 cups white wine
Preparation:
Trim the ends off the onions then halve them lengthwise, take the skin off, and slice them finely in half moon shapes.
Preheat an electric skillet to 300 degrees F and add butter.
Add a layer of onions and sprinkle salt over the top.
Repeat this layer until all the onions are used.
Do not stir until the onions have sweated down for 15 minutes.
Then stir occasionally until the onions are deep brown and reduced to 2 cups. This should take between 40 and 60 minutes.
Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn the heat up to high to reduce the wine to syrup.
Add the broth, consommé, bouquet garni and apple cider, turn the heat down and let the onion soup simmer for about 20 minutes.
Put an oven rack near the top of the oven and preheat the broiler.
Cut the bread into big enough pieces to fit the top of the ovenproof soup crocks.
Put them on a baking sheet and broil for a minute.
Season the soup with salt and pepper if it needs it and cognac if you want to.
Take the bouquet garni out and ladle the soup into the crocks.
Put the bread, toasted side down, on top of the soup, top it with the grated cheese, and broil until golden brown.
(Serves 8)
Preparing French Onion Soup Cheese
Traditional French soup is made with grated gruyere cheese. Alton Brown onion soup is made with your choice of grated fontina or gruyere cheese. Some French onion soup recipes call for sliced cheddar, mozzarella, or another type of cheese. So should the cheese be sliced or grated? That is up to you. French onion soup cheese melts under the broiler anyway so it does not matter that much whether you grate it or slice it for your French onion soup recipe.
The type of cheese you use is perhaps more important than whether you slice it or grate it. You might be making an Alton Brown onion soup, a mushroom and onion soup, a veal or chicken broth French onion soup or something else and actually the French onion soup cheese is optional. A nice, tangy cheese does go wonderfully with the sweet onions so just choose something you like the flavor of.
Combining Cheeses for a French Onion Soup Recipe
Perhaps you have two different cheeses in the refrigerator that you want to use up, or maybe you want to blend a soft cheese, which melts easily with a harder cheese, for a nice texture. Trial and error can produce new flavors, some of which are quite delicious. You can use any cheese you happen to have for French onion soup because every cheese goes beautifully with the sweet onion flavor.
The Medicinal Power of French Onion Soup
Chicken noodle soup is said to be good for the soul, and French onion soup has similar properties. Onions are full of nutrients, homemade beef broth is mineral rich and all warm soups are great to warm your heart, whether you are trying to get over a cold or the flu, or whether you just fancy a hot pick-me-up, like an Alton Brown onion soup or a classic French onion soup recipe.