Onion Soup The Real Deal

With the temps plummeting down to almost arctic degrees and the threat of snow looming ,it's nice to enjoy the perfect bowl of soup.Nothing says this than bowl of fresh made onion soup.Add crusty French bread andGruyere cheese and you'll feel like you're spending a winter's day in a cozy Parisian bistro. David Tanis wrote and created this classic Gallic dish in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.It has long been a dish for French families during hard times.All it takes is just onions, salt and pepper along with a few other simple ingredients.The most important part is how the onions are first made.Mr. tanis is taking the great chef's Jacques Pepin's recipe and uses red onions however you can use yellow ones as well.They should be chopped into small,manageable pieces and then sautéed in olive oil.Afterwards the onions are added to a stockpot.Water is then poured into the skillet ,deglazing the pan's bottom .This liquid will be the base of the soup.This is the true French fashion and not beef broth (this is an American invention).A splash of red wine is reccomended but you could add cognac too for a real Gallic flavor. What gives the soup it's true bounce are the extras.Garlic is also added along with thyme and bay leaves.Both impart an earthy taste that's important to the flavor.Also cooking the onions until They're a dark, ruddy brown also helps(this gives both the onions and the broth that rich deep brown color thAt many assume is beef broth).Finishing the soup in just the right way is also vital.Most restaurants in the New York area top their onion soups off with mozzarella which is just incredibly inappropriate.Onion soup is usually decorated with a single , toasted slice of French bread topped with shredded Gruyere cheese.Mr.Tanis adds thyme and dried sage to this mixture.It's then toasted until the cheese is brown and bubbly.Don't make the mistakes so many restaurants and diners do ,cover the whole crock with a gooey cheese, unfortunately choosing mozzarella.The cheese toast is good on it's own so make extras for those hungry nibblers. We're smack dab in the middle of snow season.Make an earthy ,filling soup like French onion to warm up.It'll make you feel like you're spending January in a cozy Parisian bistro on a winter holiday. .