A key ingredient in the recipe for a happy family is time spent around the dinner table. To help your family prioritize family meals, we bring youBetter Family Dinners— a series of stories and recipes shared by chefs, cookbook authors, members of the community, and their families to help you have Better Family Dinners together.
This recipe for the iconic bistro classic, French Onion Soup, comes from Vincent Pouessel, who is the executive chef for the Las Vegas location of Mon Ami Gabi, a classic French bistro by Lettuce Entertain You that also has locations in Chicago, Maryland and Virginia.
Mon Ami Gabi was one of the first restaurants Chef Vincent Pouessel visited when he first moved to the United States from France in 2001. Raised in a family of butchers in a small town in France, Chef Pouessel began his culinary career as a seasonal cook at Chez la Mère Pourcel in Brittany and was later named executive sous chef at Le Jules Verne, Eiffel Tower’s Michelin-starred restaurant. In 2001, his career took him to Las Vegas and roles at The Mansion at MGM Grand, Michelin-starred Aureole in Mandalay Bay and db Brasserie before settling into his current role as executive chef at Mon Ami Gabi.
Here, Chef Pouessel shares a bit about his own family dinner traditions and gives us the recipe for this iconic French dish.
What was your family dinner routine growing up? My grandmother lived with us and she practically raised me along with my sister and brother, so she was cooking for the family every night, and every other night we were having leftover but never just reheated food. She was the best at transforming a dish we already had (let’s say some stew) to a whole new and exciting plate (the stew became a pot pie). I of course helped to get it done in anyway I could.
Do you have a fond memory that centers around food? Every time I could eat the madeleines batter raw before my grandmother would bake them and knowing exactly how many madeleines she would have with each batch and of course would ask me, did you touch the batter??? I’d run away saying “Nooo.”
Do you have any traditions that you have carried on? My Grandmother made galletes everyday as a business in a dedicated room my dad built in the house and sold them, everyone in town called her Mamie Galettes. So now as often as I can I make galettes (savory crepes) with eggs, bacon and Swiss cheese for my family. I bring back the buckwheat flour from Brittany, France, or have family bringing some when they come to visit.
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Ingredients to serve
• 12 toasted baguette slices, cut ó-inch-thick croutons, 3 each per bowl
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated per bowl, 1 oz per bowl
• 4 ounces Jarlsberg cheese, grated per bowl 1 oz per bowl
Method
1. Cut the yellow onions into julienne strips.
2. Slice the garlic clove into small slivers. To sliver garlic, rest a paring knife at a slight angle against the peeled clove and use a gentle rocking motion to slice the clove into several slices.
3. In a heavy bottom sauce pot with melted butter, sauté together the julienned yellow onion and sliced garlic clove with the ó bay leaf. Caramelize slowly over medium heat to develop flavor, approximately 20 minutes.
4. Add in the white wine and reduce for 5 minutes.
5. Add chicken and beef stock. Simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is deeply flavored and slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Place crocks on a sheet pan. Ladle 10 ounces of soup into each of the crocks (or oven proof bowls).
8. Top each soup with 3 slices of toasted baguette and a generous amount of grated Gruyere and Jarlsberg cheese on top of bread.
9. Place the onion soup crocks under the broiler until the cheese is brown and begins to bubble.
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Traditional herbs like thyme and bay leaves work exceptionally well in French onion soup. Consider adding a pinch of dried thyme or a couple of bay leaves to the pot while simmering the soup. Experiment with additional seasonings like garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, or a splash of red wine for added complexity.
What is the Difference Between Onion Soup and French Onion Soup? French onion soup is always made with beef stock. Other onion soups can be made with chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Additionally, French onion soup typically contains wine or sherry, which isn't typical or necessary in other onion soups.
The caramelized onions for this soup cook more quickly due to a pinch of baking soda but still have that deep, slow-cooked flavor. Topping the soup with hot, cheesy toasts prepared while the soup simmers, eliminates the need to bake the soup in specialty French onion soup bowls.
Remove all packaging. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Place product in oven-proof bowl with cheese facing up. Heat 40 to 45 minutes, or until cheese becomes golden brown.
"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.
Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.
It's too sweet – caramelized onions are not balanced by acidic ingredients. In this recipe dry white wine and brandy provide acidity. If your soup came out too sweet you can add some sherry vinegar/white wine vinegar/lemon juice to reduce the sweetness even more.
The classic French onion soup gets its name from its country of origin: France. After making its debut in the 18th century, it has become a national treasure. During ancient times (and still today), onions were cheap and easy to grow, and hence, readily available.
In this case, however, the lemon provides more of a flavor undertone that enhances other seasonings like thyme, parsley, and turmeric. According to trained chef Leetal Arazi, who spoke with Real Simple, you can bring a "zesty flavor" to your soup simply by adding lemon.
Yes, over high heat, onions can brown on the surface very quickly, especially in a pan that's not crowded. But the goal of caramelizing onions isn't just to brown the surface; it's to transform the onions so that they're soft and sweet to the core. Try to rush it and all you'll end up doing is burning them.
With such a soup, a knife is your friend, not your enemy. Using both the soup spoon and the knife, push the baked cheese against the rim of the cup or bowl and cut it gently with the knife. Once you've broken the cheese barrier, you can use the knife again to nudge bits of cheese onto the spoon.
The 18 oz soup bowl is the perfect size, soup crock for cooking French onion soup, crab and lobster bisque, pork stew, chowder, bisque, pudding or baked goods and more. It is also very suitable for personal daily use.
Go Bold. A punch of flavor at the end of cooking can make your soup a standout. Mix herbs like parsley, thyme, and oregano, or spices such as cumin, coriander, and cardamom, into some olive oil, and let it infuse for at least an hour or two. Pour it over soup just before serving.
Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.
You can try adding a pinch of baking soda, a small amount of sugar, or a splash of dairy such as milk, cream, or yogurt. These ingredients can help to balance out the acidity and make the soup more palatable.
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