Comments on: What’s French for onion soup? http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/ A cooking show by real people Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:19:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Christine http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-61951 Christine Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:12:02 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-61951 What cheese can we use instead of Gruyare cheese? What cheese can we use instead of Gruyare cheese?

]]> By: Deborah Dowd http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-6467 Deborah Dowd Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:00:25 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-6467 I just responded to a post at Brandon Eats about French Onion soup. For years I made mine with red wine (red wine-beef stock, logical right?) but it never turned out exactly right until I tried it with white wine. For some reason that defies logic, it made the finished product just perfect I just responded to a post at Brandon Eats about French Onion soup. For years I made mine with red wine (red wine-beef stock, logical right?) but it never turned out exactly right until I tried it with white wine. For some reason that defies logic, it made the finished product just perfect

]]> By: Don http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-4953 Don Thu, 21 Dec 2006 05:32:25 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-4953 Just a couple thoughts to deepen color and strengthen broth without reducing, although I agree that additional time is probably the best bet. First, you can also roast the vegetables, and you can add roasted vegetables later after the first full batch of bones and vegetables have simmered several hours. Basting the new vegetables with some of the skimmed froth before roasting them gives additional carmelization. Second, you can re-roast the bones. In each case, make sure you deglaze the roasting pan and don't burn it. Consider juice of half a lemon added to the deglazing broth (take that from the top of the simmering stock). You can also add either bean sprouts or a woody mushroom (shitake is good--dried is fine) to the broth. One or both of these deepens the flavor. Reducing does enhance flavor, but if you add water at all, consider potato water, which like the broth, can be frozen from earlier meals. The starch adds a bit of thickness. I'm usually looking more for the stock, and not necessarily for soup but for gravies and sauces. Noting B's interest in Vegie French Onion Soup...I've not done that...but if you used leaks and garlic with the intital veggie roast, perhaps some varieties of mushroom and bean sprouts, that might make a reasonable exchange. With some nice wine, that could be a two bottle job best saved for the weekend with a boxed set of your favorite TV show and no place to go the next day. After a couple glasses, you can always baste the second roasting of bones and new vegies with half a glass of your wine added to a bit of broth. The carmelization gives you the deep color and deglazing all the darkened vegies, bones and dripping gives you the deeper flavor. Just a couple thoughts to deepen color and strengthen broth without reducing, although I agree that additional time is probably the best bet. First, you can also roast the vegetables, and you can add roasted vegetables later after the first full batch of bones and vegetables have simmered several hours. Basting the new vegetables with some of the skimmed froth before roasting them gives additional carmelization. Second, you can re-roast the bones. In each case, make sure you deglaze the roasting pan and don’t burn it. Consider juice of half a lemon added to the deglazing broth (take that from the top of the simmering stock). You can also add either bean sprouts or a woody mushroom (shitake is good–dried is fine) to the broth. One or both of these deepens the flavor. Reducing does enhance flavor, but if you add water at all, consider potato water, which like the broth, can be frozen from earlier meals. The starch adds a bit of thickness. I’m usually looking more for the stock, and not necessarily for soup but for gravies and sauces. Noting B’s interest in Vegie French Onion Soup…I’ve not done that…but if you used leaks and garlic with the intital veggie roast, perhaps some varieties of mushroom and bean sprouts, that might make a reasonable exchange. With some nice wine, that could be a two bottle job best saved for the weekend with a boxed set of your favorite TV show and no place to go the next day. After a couple glasses, you can always baste the second roasting of bones and new vegies with half a glass of your wine added to a bit of broth. The carmelization gives you the deep color and deglazing all the darkened vegies, bones and dripping gives you the deeper flavor.

]]> By: B http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-4739 B Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:11:55 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-4739 I am vegitarian and can not find veggy French soup anywhere! I am vegitarian and can not find veggy French soup anywhere!

]]> By: Gav http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-3704 Gav Wed, 25 Oct 2006 05:18:24 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-3704 holy moly that looks good! nice blog you guys have here - i've got you bookmarked. i just moved out on my own and need all the help i can get so your video blog's awesome. .. and you're aussie so that gives you extra points =P holy moly that looks good!

nice blog you guys have here - i’ve got you bookmarked. i just moved out on my own and need all the help i can get so your video blog’s awesome.

.. and you’re aussie so that gives you extra points =P

]]> By: Ken Daves http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-2148 Ken Daves Sat, 19 Aug 2006 19:13:15 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-2148 This looks excellent! I might try adding the wine to deglaze the onions after you browned them, to get all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan, or maybe even flamed it with brandy. I can't wait to have enough money to buy the ingredients and make this for myself. Love your shows! This looks excellent! I might try adding the wine to deglaze the onions after you browned them, to get all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan, or maybe even flamed it with brandy.

I can’t wait to have enough money to buy the ingredients and make this for myself.

Love your shows!

]]> By: Don http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1376 Don Tue, 30 May 2006 20:25:08 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1376 I guess it's too late now, but I just saw a tip for cutting onions.. apparently all of the enzymes/gases makes you cry is mostly concentrated in the base/core of the onion. So if you remove it (take a conical piece out of the onion from the bottom) or just avoid slicing into it, you shouldn't have very many tears. The soup looks great tho! I guess it’s too late now, but I just saw a tip for cutting onions.. apparently all of the enzymes/gases makes you cry is mostly concentrated in the base/core of the onion.

So if you remove it (take a conical piece out of the onion from the bottom) or just avoid slicing into it, you shouldn’t have very many tears.

The soup looks great tho!

]]> By: max http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1374 max Mon, 29 May 2006 13:09:23 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1374 I think i'm also going to give his recipe a go. i think i'm gonna trying using either a mushroom stock or this really good vegetarian chicken stock though. The only thing i'm afraid of is the clean up from the onions that burn onto the pot... Thanks a lot for the episode. I think i’m also going to give his recipe a go. i think i’m gonna trying using either a mushroom stock or this really good vegetarian chicken stock though. The only thing i’m afraid of is the clean up from the onions that burn onto the pot…

Thanks a lot for the episode.

]]> By: Claudio http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1373 Claudio Sun, 28 May 2006 19:43:27 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1373 Hello Lenny and Waz, Enjoy your podcasts. About the color of the stock: if you want a really brown stock, you put the brown husk of the onions (wash it before you peel it off) in the stock, let this simmer with the meat and vegetables. Tried the Brandy in the soup today, it was ok, never did it before. Claudio, from the Netherlands. Hello Lenny and Waz,

Enjoy your podcasts. About the color of the stock: if you want a really brown stock, you put the brown husk of the onions (wash it before you peel it off) in the stock, let this simmer with the meat and vegetables.
Tried the Brandy in the soup today, it was ok, never did it before.

Claudio, from the Netherlands.

]]> By: Kara http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1328 Kara Tue, 23 May 2006 14:05:24 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1328 To me french onion soup will always be the way my mom makes it with a recipie from her old good housekeeping illustrated cookbook, which includes puting the bread in the soup not toasting it, but other versions are always good. I'll have to try this out when I have the time to make some stock. Thanks. To me french onion soup will always be the way my mom makes it with a recipie from her old good housekeeping illustrated cookbook, which includes puting the bread in the soup not toasting it, but other versions are always good. I’ll have to try this out when I have the time to make some stock. Thanks.

]]> By: Administrator http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1306 Administrator Mon, 22 May 2006 14:52:56 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1306 Laura, I just checked in a local Waitrose and they had some fresh stock available. It was in the meat section, I only saw it in a 300ml size, and it seemed really expensive for that amount. You get slightly more with the Knorr stuff, which is in the aisle with all the powdered stock. But I really think your best solution is to bite the bullet and make your own stock starting with bones. Cut a few corners: you could just roast the bones and not the veg, or even grill the bones, or brown them in a pan, to speed things up. Once you've chucked everything in the pot to simmer there really isn't much more to do except pour/scoop/siphon off the fat at the end and enjoy the results! Someone suggested an easy way to remove the fat is let the stock cool so the fat solidifies on top. And the herbs and spices used are probably subjective too - in a pinch you could most likely get by with just salt and pepper. Good luck, Waz Laura,

I just checked in a local Waitrose and they had some fresh stock available. It was in the meat section, I only saw it in a 300ml size, and it seemed really expensive for that amount. You get slightly more with the Knorr stuff, which is in the aisle with all the powdered stock.

But I really think your best solution is to bite the bullet and make your own
stock starting with bones. Cut a few corners: you could just roast the bones and not the veg, or even grill the bones, or brown them in a pan, to speed things up. Once you’ve chucked everything in the pot to simmer there really isn’t much more to do except pour/scoop/siphon off the fat at the end and enjoy the results! Someone suggested an easy way to remove the fat is let the stock cool so the fat solidifies on top. And the herbs and spices used are probably subjective too - in a pinch you could most likely get by with just salt and pepper.

Good luck,
Waz

]]> By: Natalie http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1305 Natalie Mon, 22 May 2006 13:47:47 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1305 Bonjour Lenny and Waz! Looked like a great gratinée! Keep up the good work, I look forward to the next recipe! You guys look like you have so much fun in the kitchen. -Natalie Montréal, Québec Bonjour Lenny and Waz!
Looked like a great gratinée! Keep up the good work, I look forward to the next recipe! You guys look like you have so much fun in the kitchen. -Natalie Montréal, Québec

]]> By: Administrator http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1304 Administrator Mon, 22 May 2006 12:55:41 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1304 Laura, are you in the UK? I'm told Waitrose do pretty good stock and you can find it in the refrigerated section. Otherwise, Knorr makes stuff that comes in those soft tetra-style packs. And I've seen another brand in cans with silvery-maroon labels from memory. Stock cubes to be avoided at all costs! - Waz. Laura, are you in the UK? I’m told Waitrose do pretty good stock and you can find it in the refrigerated section. Otherwise, Knorr makes stuff that comes in those soft tetra-style packs. And I’ve seen another brand in cans with silvery-maroon labels from memory. Stock cubes to be avoided at all costs!
- Waz.

]]> By: Laura http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/whats-the-french-for-onion-soup/#comment-1302 Laura Mon, 22 May 2006 12:45:12 +0000 http://www.crashtestkitchen.com/?p=53#comment-1302 Woohoo, first post! ^_~ Looked gorgeous, I'm glad to hear the beef stock worked out though, have to say, in its jelly form it looked a bit nasty though. I'm going to be trying this dish myself, on Sunday next week I think, but I haven't the time to make the stock, so, would you recommend one for me, that is reasonably suitable? Woohoo, first post! ^_~

Looked gorgeous, I’m glad to hear the beef stock worked out though, have to say, in its jelly form it looked a bit nasty though. I’m going to be trying this dish myself, on Sunday next week I think, but I haven’t the time to make the stock, so, would you recommend one for me, that is reasonably suitable?

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