National Cheese Day

Yesterday, January 20th, was National Cheese Day and it had us feeling French, so Ping put on her navy and white sweater from Pug Notes, her pearls, and her beret from All You Need is Pug.

 French Onion Soup from Cook's Illustrated

• 4 lbs onions, sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp
• 4 cups low salt chicken broth
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 baguette, sliced
• 8 ounces gruyerre, shredded
•  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
This soup takes five hours to make so be prepared.  Place butter in pot and 1 tsp salt and onions.  Cook covered for one hour (onions should be slightly reduced).   Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot.  Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are soft and brown, 1 1/2 hours longer stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot every half hour.  

Carefully, remove pot from oven and place over medium high heat.  Cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, the onions should be very reduced and almost black in color.  Continue to cook 6 minutes more and 1/4 cup of water and then scrap bottom and sides of the pot and cook for about 6  minutes more until the water evaporates, and then add another 1/4 cup of water,  repeat this process three more times.   Stir in wine and balsamic vinegar and cook until evaporated 5 minutes.  

Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley (tie the parsley and bay leaf together) add 1/2 tsp salt, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot.  Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for thirty minutes.  Remove and discard herbs, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, toast baguette slices in 400 degree oven until golden brown.   Take soup out of pot and  place in a deep casserole dish or individual oven proof soup bowls.  Preheat the broiler.  Top the casserole dish or soup bowls with the bread and cheese and broil 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and very brown.  Serve with a green salad.

If you want something cheesy for your dog, check out our cheese day post from last year,  when we made mac and cheese for dogs.