- 6
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. French peanut oil
- 2 lb. yellow onions, thinly sliced
- salt, pepper, and sugar
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 2 qt. beef consommé, homemade (or canned)
- bouquet garni made by tying together a bay leaf, a few sprigs of parsley and thyme
- 12 thin slices of a slim French bread
- 2/3 c. grated imported Gruyére cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 to 1/3 c. cognac, port, or Madeira
Preparation
Step 1
1. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter with oil in a large ovenproof pot. Add onion. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes. Add salt, a few generous twists of pepper, and a few pinches of sugar.
2. Raise heat to moderate, cook for 30 minutes, stirring often, till onions are a deep golden brown.
3. Sprinkle with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add consommé and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. Discard bouquet garni. Toast bread in moderate oven till golden brown. Remove from oven, raise oven heat to 450 degrees.
5. Spread toast with remaining butter sprinkle with grated cheese. Place on top soup, put into hot oven for 6-8 minutes till cheese is nicely browned.
6. Beat egg yolks lightly with a fork, beat in cognac, and pour into a small serving bowl. When serving, at table, put a spoon or two of hot soup into egg-cognac mixture then pour it all back into soup, stirring quickly with the ladle.