French Onion Soup
Gratinated French Onion Soup with Wild Mushrooms
Gratin is a culinary term, which means a dish is topped with a broiled, browned crust. This crust is often grated cheese, breadcrumbs, butter, or egg. Most French onion soup recipes are gratin, or gratinated, since the crunchy cheese and bread layer contrasts nicely with the rich, sweet soup.
The following recipe for gratinated French onion soup adds blue cheese, wild mushrooms, and chives to the traditional French onion soup recipe for a delicious twist on classic onion soup recipes. You can add a teaspoon and a half of chopped fresh thyme to the mushrooms and onions, while they are sautéing, if you like, for added flavor.
This is a great recipe for a big crowd because it is easy to double or even triple. You can make this gratinated French onion soup ahead if you like. Just let it cool and refrigerate it for up to twenty four hours. Then gently reheat it and proceed with the croutons and cheese.
French Onion Soup with a Chive and Blue Cheese Crust
Ingredients -
1 cup chopped mixed wild mushrooms (oyster, cremini, and shiitake)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
4 thick slices baguette
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons light cream
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a pan over a moderate to low heat and sauté the onions with the mushrooms for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the flour then add the cream gradually.
Turn the heat up to high, stir in the broth and bring the soup to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer the soup, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes.
Toast the baguette slices and set them to one side. Preheat the broiler.
Put ovenproof soup bowls in a shallow baking pan and ladle the onion soup into them. Top each bowl of soup with 2 slices of bread and sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Broil for a couple of minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Sprinkle the chives over the top and serve.
(Serves 4)
Why Gratinated Recipes are So Good
Gratinated French onion soup is just one of the delicious gratinated recipes that you can make. "Au gratin" is French for gratinated and simply means a crispy crust on top of your dish. This is usually a combination of ingredients, such as flour, nuts, breadcrumbs, egg, or cheese. You can make au gratin potatoes by sprinkling cheese and breadcrumbs on top of cooked potatoes in a creamy sauce, and broiling the dish, until you have a golden brown, crispy layer. A good potatoes au gratin dish should be cooked at a low temperature for a long time. This is to ensure the potatoes come out very soft yet still hold their shape, and also so the top layer can become evenly crispy, without burning in some places before other parts are sufficiently browned.
The Best Au Gratin Recipes
With pasta dishes, a crispy topping often enhances the whole recipe because it gives such a good contrast. A pasta dish with a creamy sauce and vegetables would be delicious with a crispy, cheesy topping because the soft pasta and vegetables would contrast well with the crunchy top layer. Gratinated French onion soup is a great recipe because the crunchy topping contrasts nicely with the soft, melt in the mouth onions. French onion soup is one of the best recipes to serve au gratin because the texture and flavor are divine. A lot of au gratin recipes are served in their baking dish, which adds to their appeal. An au gratin recipe, or gratinated recipe, can be an appetizer, a side dish, or an entree.