True, it’s a French recipe and tradition, but the style is all your own. This preparation teaches and builds some fundamental kitchen skills. The dicing of onions can either be torture or a pleasure. Anyone inclined to make their own stocks will be rewarded many times over. Add apples and a whole new dimension emerges. Just don’t overcomplicate it. It is simple, good tasting, hearty fare.
Ingredients:
4 sweet (Spanish) onions, medium to large
1 qt. vegetable, beef or chicken stock (your choice)
1 cube unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, diced or pressed
4 toasted slices of day-old French bread
12 oz. grated Swiss cheese
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ C. brown sugar
Directions:
• In a heavy bottom stock pan, melt butter over low heat.
• Dice onions.
• Slowly sauté onions and garlic until they start to caramelize and turn light brown.
• Add stock and bring to light boil, reduce heat and simmer for half hour.
• Finish by adding nutmeg and brown sugar. Feel free to experiment with red pepper,
sea salt, more or less brown sugar, more or less stock, whatever you want to make it yours.
• Let simmer a few minutes to blend spices
• Place a crust in the bottom of soup bowl, add a small handful of cheese, cover with
ladle of soup mixture and let stand for several minutes.
• Serve warm