Page 38 - Flathead Beacon // 1.7.15

38 | JANUARY 7, 2015
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FLATHEADBEACON.COM SIDE DISH FVCC Chef Howard Karp
Baked French Onion Soup
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ARE YOU READY FOR THOSE cold wintery days and nights? Ready or not, winter has ar- rived, and my thoughts have turned to my warm comfort food recipes. Rich beefy broth, sweet Spanish onions, olive oil-toasted baguette and melted baked Gruyere cheeses run through my mind. French onion soup is a wintertime fa- vorite, but making this dish true to its roots does have some secrets. From cre- ating a rich beef stock, to slicing the on- ions properly and slowly caramelizing them, to baking the final soup, I’m shar- ing those secrets here.
INGREDIENTS
• 3 oz. unsalted butter
PREPARATION
This process will take time, but the re- sults will be worth the wait. In a stock pot, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the sliced onions and salt (salt will release the sugar from the onions). Stir every 15 minutes for an hour. By this time, the onions will have wilted and re- leased a lot of liquid. It is important to continue the cooking process until the liquid has evaporated. Be careful not to scorch the onions. The goal is to cara- melize them by continuing to stir. This process will take up to 4 hours. During the latter part of cooking, add the thyme, crushed black pepper and the bay leaves. When the onions have turned a deep golden brown, mix in the flour. Add the beef stock, and bring to a boil. Simmer for one hour or until soup has reduced to two-and-a-half quarts. Season with salt to taste.
CROUTONS
Cut 3/8-inch thick slices from the ba- guettes. Brush slices with olive oil and bake in the oven 350 degrees until crisp.
TO COMPLETE
Bring the onion soup to a simmer, line six onion soup crocks on a baking sheet. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Add one tablespoon of dry sherry to the bottom of each crock. Fill the crocks completely full with the soup. Lay a crouton on top of soup and cover with grated cheese (the soup will probably over flow, but that’s okay as it will allow the cheese to bake and brown nicely). Add enough water to cover the bottom of the sheet pan. Place into the oven and bake for at least 30 min- utes or until the cheese begins to brow n.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this recipe. Please send your com- ments to me at [email protected]. Bon Appétit!
Lakeside’s bes
Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner!
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• • • • • • • • • • •
8 large Spanish yellow onions (peeled, cored and thinly sliced)
1 Tbsp. salt
2/3 oz. thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh crushed black pepper 3 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. wondra flour
4 quarts beef stock
Sea salt for taste
1 baguette (2 1/2 inches diameter) Extra virgin olive oil
3 oz. dry sherry wine
3 oz., grated Gruyere or Comte or Em- mentaler cheeses
TAMARACK
406.844.0244
105 Blacktail Rd.
On Stoner Creek behind Sliters Ace Hardware
Serving lunch, dinner & craft brewed beer from:
11am-10pm Daily
farmhouse
FARMHOUSE
406.844.0610
306 Stoner Loop In the Lakeside Town Center
Fresh, locally sourced breakfast and lunch
8am-2pm Daily
SEVEN
406.407.1455
306 Stoner Loop
In the Lakeside Town Center
Seasonally & regionally inspired dinner & spirituous drink
5pm-10pm Tue - Sat
Chef Howard Karp is an instructor at The Culinary Institute of Montana at Flathead Valley Community College. For more information about the program, visit www.culinaryinstituteofmt.com.
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