Thursday, October 19, 2023

French Onion Soup (Canning Recipe)

Yet another interpolated recipe, between the James Peterson version, this version of the Julia Child classic as reimagined for pressure cooking, and the Bon Appétit version.

  • 5 lbs. onions. This works out to about 6-7 medium yellow onions.
  • 2 quarts beef stock. Some recipes claim you can use chicken stock, and so, go, them; but I've never tried it, and the beef flavor is for me an integral part of this comfort food.
  • Optional: 2 tsp. beef reduction; I use Better Than Bouillon.
  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. thyme
  • 1 c. water
  • 1 c. sherry
  • Optional: 1/2 c. red wine
  • Salt, pepper to taste

Slice the onions. Out of sheer self-preservation, I use a Cuisinart; five pounds is a lot! Using a large skillet, wok, or griddle, melt the butter until liquid, and fry up the onions until slightly cooked, about 10-15 minutes. The object is not to brown them, but to infuse butter and reduce volume. This will most likely take several passes, so reserve some butter for each pass. Place the cooked onions in a bowl and set aside. In a large pot, add the beef stock, thyme, sherry, wine, and water, and raise to a simmer. Add the onions back. Add beef reduction (if desired), salt, and pepper to taste.

Can in pints with 1" head space at 10 lbs. for 60 minutes. Makes about 8 pints.

To serve: cover with croutons or bread slices and gruyère cheese. Bake at 375F until brown (5 minutes?).



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