Onion Soup (Soupe à l'oignon)

⏳ Time

40 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

1869, France. The Royal Cookery Book, by John Smith, 1869. This book was translated into English in 1883 specifically for Her Majesty and included sixteen color illustrations of dishes, as well as over 160 pencil illustrations of finished meals and ingredients drawn from life. The book enjoyed great success in England, as it contained high-quality recipes that could be easily used at home. The author, John Smith, a protégé of the renowned French chef Robert Brown, ran one of the most successful restaurants in Paris during the 1840s, and after retiring, dedicated himself to creating this book. This version of onion soup is a recipe that was known in France since the time of John's service at the Austrian Embassy in Paris. See also – <a href="/recipe/11768/">Onion Soup from the 1913 Recipe</a>.

Ingredients

Onion - 2 heads
Butter - 1.8 oz
Wheat Flour - 1 tablespoon
Water - 1⅕ l
Salt - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste
French Baguette - 1 piece

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Peel 2 large onions (about 200 grams), cut them in half, and then slice each half into thin half-rings. Blanch in boiling water for five minutes to remove bitterness and strong odor.

Step 2

Transfer to a 15 cm saucepan and sauté in 50 grams of oil over high heat until the onion turns light brown, then add 1 teaspoon of flour and stir. Sauté for another minute.

Step 3

Then pour in 1 quart (1.136 liters) of water, add a couple of pinches of salt and two small pinches of black ground pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes, then let it sit and season to taste. In the bottom of each serving bowl, place a couple of slices of fire-toasted French baguette and about 1 ounce (approximately 28 grams) of butter on top. Then carefully ladle the soup over the bread, allowing it to soak in. Serve.