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ISO: ISO Cathy Z. Thank you for reminding me about Julia's Onion Soup. I made it last night
- Thread starter joe
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LOL! Such a problem. My container of "gold" is in the freezer waiting to be transformed into French
Onion Soup- and I can relate. It is such a labor of love to make the perfect stock but so worth it. Every time I open the freezer I see the container I put there- pure gold, that stock.
Onion Soup- and I can relate. It is such a labor of love to make the perfect stock but so worth it. Every time I open the freezer I see the container I put there- pure gold, that stock.
You are so right about that, feel so proud when I have a stash of beautiful stock. Another---
thing I have been doing is making big batches of dark roux at a time, cooling it and storing in refer in gumbo sized amounts. It is nice to stand there with the big cast iron pot and stir and stir. But when you are busy that's minutes in the time bank.
Best of Holiday Wishes to you All!!!!
Nan
thing I have been doing is making big batches of dark roux at a time, cooling it and storing in refer in gumbo sized amounts. It is nice to stand there with the big cast iron pot and stir and stir. But when you are busy that's minutes in the time bank.
Best of Holiday Wishes to you All!!!!
Nan
Here is the recipe for the soup
as posted by "gourmetphobe" on the epi forum. I use more than the 5 cups of onions called for-they cook down to almost nothing. I also saw on Julia's DVD that she grated a little raw onion into the pot right before serving--I forgot to try that. I'll post the stock a little later.
JULIA'S SOUPE A L'OIGNON--the classic version (6-8 servings)
From Mastering the Art of French Cook, Volume One
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (to help carmelize the onions)
3 Tablespoons flour
8 cups light beef stock, at a boil
1/2 cup dry white wine (like extra dry vermouth)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons cognac
Garnish: 6-8 croutes of hard toasted French bread rounds; 1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Melt the butter and oil over low heat in a heavy soup pot. Stir in the onions, cover, and sweat til tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the heat up to medium, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat and whisk in the boiling stock. Add the wine. Season to taste. Put back on the heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes or more, skimming as needed. Correct seasoning (you can set it aside uncovered at this point until you are ready to serve.
When ready to serve, with the soup at a simmer, stir in the cognac. Place the toast pieces in the bottoms of each bowl, pour the soup over it, and pass the cheese separately for your guests to help themselves.
as posted by "gourmetphobe" on the epi forum. I use more than the 5 cups of onions called for-they cook down to almost nothing. I also saw on Julia's DVD that she grated a little raw onion into the pot right before serving--I forgot to try that. I'll post the stock a little later.
JULIA'S SOUPE A L'OIGNON--the classic version (6-8 servings)
From Mastering the Art of French Cook, Volume One
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (to help carmelize the onions)
3 Tablespoons flour
8 cups light beef stock, at a boil
1/2 cup dry white wine (like extra dry vermouth)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons cognac
Garnish: 6-8 croutes of hard toasted French bread rounds; 1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Melt the butter and oil over low heat in a heavy soup pot. Stir in the onions, cover, and sweat til tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the heat up to medium, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat and whisk in the boiling stock. Add the wine. Season to taste. Put back on the heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer, partially covered, for 30-40 minutes or more, skimming as needed. Correct seasoning (you can set it aside uncovered at this point until you are ready to serve.
When ready to serve, with the soup at a simmer, stir in the cognac. Place the toast pieces in the bottoms of each bowl, pour the soup over it, and pass the cheese separately for your guests to help themselves.
And here is the stock recipe: Julia's Brown Beef Stock
from Julia Child's "The Way to Cook."
BROWN BEEF STOCK
for 3 to 4 quarts
3 to 4 lbs. (4 quarts or so) raw beef bones sawed into pieces of 3 inches or less.
2 each: large carrots, conions and celery ribs, roughly chopped
6 or more quarts cold water
A large herb bouquet (parsley, thyme and bay leaf) plus 4 allspice berries and 6 peppercorns
2 large cloves of unpeeled garlic, smashed
1 large unpeeled tomato, cored and chopped. or 1/2 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp. salt. plus more as needed later.
Preheat the oven to 450*F.
Arrange the bones and 1/2 cup each of the chopped vegetables in a roasting pan and brown in the upper third of the oven, turning and basting with the accumulated fat several times until they are a good walnut brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Scoop bones and vegetables into an 8-quart kettle; pour out and discard accumulated fat from the roasting pan.
Pour 2 cups of the water into the pan and bring to the boil over high heat; using a wooden spoon, scrape browning juices into the liquid, then pour the liquid over the bones in the kettle.
Add the rest of the ingredients, using enough of the water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to the simmer; skim off and discard gray scum that will collect on the surface for several minutes. Cover loosely, and maintain at the slow simmer, skimming off fat and scum occasionally, and adding a little boiling water if the liquid has evaporated below the surface of the ingredients. Simmer 4 to 5 hours, or until you feel the bones have given their all.
Strain and degrease. Season to taste.
Ahead of time: If you have time chill, uncovered, before de-greasing. It will be easier to remove the congealed fat. Cover and refrigerate or freeze.
from Julia Child's "The Way to Cook."
BROWN BEEF STOCK
for 3 to 4 quarts
3 to 4 lbs. (4 quarts or so) raw beef bones sawed into pieces of 3 inches or less.
2 each: large carrots, conions and celery ribs, roughly chopped
6 or more quarts cold water
A large herb bouquet (parsley, thyme and bay leaf) plus 4 allspice berries and 6 peppercorns
2 large cloves of unpeeled garlic, smashed
1 large unpeeled tomato, cored and chopped. or 1/2 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp. salt. plus more as needed later.
Preheat the oven to 450*F.
Arrange the bones and 1/2 cup each of the chopped vegetables in a roasting pan and brown in the upper third of the oven, turning and basting with the accumulated fat several times until they are a good walnut brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Scoop bones and vegetables into an 8-quart kettle; pour out and discard accumulated fat from the roasting pan.
Pour 2 cups of the water into the pan and bring to the boil over high heat; using a wooden spoon, scrape browning juices into the liquid, then pour the liquid over the bones in the kettle.
Add the rest of the ingredients, using enough of the water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring to the simmer; skim off and discard gray scum that will collect on the surface for several minutes. Cover loosely, and maintain at the slow simmer, skimming off fat and scum occasionally, and adding a little boiling water if the liquid has evaporated below the surface of the ingredients. Simmer 4 to 5 hours, or until you feel the bones have given their all.
Strain and degrease. Season to taste.
Ahead of time: If you have time chill, uncovered, before de-greasing. It will be easier to remove the congealed fat. Cover and refrigerate or freeze.
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
Beautiful stocks
I certainly agree with you about those liquid treasures. Nothing imparts flavor in sauces and soups like good stock. And a story...
Years ago I started following Cathy's Thanksgiving prep method by roasting a turkey in advance and having all my stock ready for Thanksgiving. This year, as is my wont, I totally obsessed on my stock. I roasted a turkey carcass with much meat on it (I sliced fillets off the raw bird to make cutlets and didn't bake the bird first). I had a perfectly wonderful stock at that point. But no. Celery root appeared at the market, and then a huge pile of turkey necks and wings. More simmering.
But I was still not done. Many chickens were roasted and each carcass added to the master pot. But no I was still not done. I was starting to feel like an alchemist, stirring my cauldron and waiting for visions to appear. A fine duck added his greetings to my pot as I continued to simmer. Finally I strained the grand mess (turkeys, chickens, ducks, celery root, celery, lovage, onions, carrots, parsley). It jelled at room temp bless it.
I used this wonderful stock to make the gravy, dressings, and spaetzle for Thanksgiving dinner. When they tasted the gravy, all exclaimed, variously, "What did you do to this!!!, this is the most amazing turkey gravy I've ever tasted, etc."
Thanks to Cathy for a wonderful trick for the thanskgiving kitchen!
I certainly agree with you about those liquid treasures. Nothing imparts flavor in sauces and soups like good stock. And a story...
Years ago I started following Cathy's Thanksgiving prep method by roasting a turkey in advance and having all my stock ready for Thanksgiving. This year, as is my wont, I totally obsessed on my stock. I roasted a turkey carcass with much meat on it (I sliced fillets off the raw bird to make cutlets and didn't bake the bird first). I had a perfectly wonderful stock at that point. But no. Celery root appeared at the market, and then a huge pile of turkey necks and wings. More simmering.
But I was still not done. Many chickens were roasted and each carcass added to the master pot. But no I was still not done. I was starting to feel like an alchemist, stirring my cauldron and waiting for visions to appear. A fine duck added his greetings to my pot as I continued to simmer. Finally I strained the grand mess (turkeys, chickens, ducks, celery root, celery, lovage, onions, carrots, parsley). It jelled at room temp bless it.
I used this wonderful stock to make the gravy, dressings, and spaetzle for Thanksgiving dinner. When they tasted the gravy, all exclaimed, variously, "What did you do to this!!!, this is the most amazing turkey gravy I've ever tasted, etc."
Thanks to Cathy for a wonderful trick for the thanskgiving kitchen!
richard-in-cincy
Well-known member
Julia also give the variation for this recipe
of potting the soups, floating the croute, adding cheese, and putting under the broiler too. I prefer it this way, of course! ; )
of potting the soups, floating the croute, adding cheese, and putting under the broiler too. I prefer it this way, of course! ; )
Ode to the stock pot
Richard, I actually picked that tip up from someone else and since then have wondered why I wasn't smart enough to think of it myself!
Like you, I obsess on The Stock. Around the holidays I make certain there are chicken carcasses from my old war horse garlic chicken recipe- and I freeze the juices with them. I use a turkey carcass, necks, tails, the chicken bones in juices, even lamb bones (from boned legs of lamb) and beef bones. I simmer with herbs and onion, carrots and celery then strain and take the fat off. I freeze then sometimes do it all over again with more bones. When it is at the point where I would like to drink the entire stock pot full with nothing more added, I deem it "gold" and worthy of gravy or any number of other things. There is nothing better than a great stock!
....does this mean that if you and I go into business selling our finished product that we would be......stock brokers?
Richard, I actually picked that tip up from someone else and since then have wondered why I wasn't smart enough to think of it myself!
Like you, I obsess on The Stock. Around the holidays I make certain there are chicken carcasses from my old war horse garlic chicken recipe- and I freeze the juices with them. I use a turkey carcass, necks, tails, the chicken bones in juices, even lamb bones (from boned legs of lamb) and beef bones. I simmer with herbs and onion, carrots and celery then strain and take the fat off. I freeze then sometimes do it all over again with more bones. When it is at the point where I would like to drink the entire stock pot full with nothing more added, I deem it "gold" and worthy of gravy or any number of other things. There is nothing better than a great stock!
....does this mean that if you and I go into business selling our finished product that we would be......stock brokers?
Wow, I an inspired! I too wonder why I never thought of buying an extra bird for stock!
Especially since they're practically free in November.
I'm fortunate to have a Trader Joe's nearby, and since they only sell their free-range chickens whole, I've been forced to learn to cut them up and save the backs and ribs in the freezer. After a few years of this, and the resulting chicken stock, I don't think I could go back to buying chicken parts.
Especially since they're practically free in November.
I'm fortunate to have a Trader Joe's nearby, and since they only sell their free-range chickens whole, I've been forced to learn to cut them up and save the backs and ribs in the freezer. After a few years of this, and the resulting chicken stock, I don't think I could go back to buying chicken parts.
music-city-missy
Well-known member
I use this recipe but I usually use 1/2 & 1/2 chicken and beef broth for a little lighter body. nt