French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup served with toasted baguette

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City/Region: France

Time Period: 1651

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Onion soups have been made for thousands of years, dating back at least to Ancient Greece and Rome, but modern onion soup, topped with toasted bread and melted cheese didn't come around until the 20th century. This recipe from France in 1651, which is made with milk instead of the cheese and stock of the modern version, is simple, homey, and absolutely wonderful.

“After your onion is cut very thin and sauteed in butter until it’s well browned, cook it in a little water well seasoned with salt and pepper. After it is done, add milk to it and boil it. Baking your crusts dry, serve it promptly.”

— Le Cuisinier François by François Pierre de la Varenne, 1651

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Ingredients:

• 2-4 yellow onions
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) salted butter
• 1 ½ cups (350 ml) water
• ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• ½ teaspoon pepper, more to taste
• 3 cups (700 ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 8-12 slices French baguette, preferably stale*

*See notes below.

Instructions:

1. Peel the onions and cut them in half from root to stem. Slice thinly. Don’t worry about them being perfect or totally uniform.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
3. Add the onions (they will likely fill the whole pot) and cook, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they’re a dark golden brown.
4. While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
5. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast them on the top rack of the oven for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until they’re nicely browned.
6. Add the water to the caramelized onions and use a wooden spoon to scrape the sides and bottom of the saucepan.
7. Add the salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Pour in the milk and return to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat immediately once it starts to boil.
9. Ladle into bowls and serve it forth with toasted baguette on the side.

Notes

• If the baguette is not already stale, put the slices in the oven at a low temperature for 30 minutes to dry them out.

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