Gingered Onion And Beef Soup With French Bread Dumplings Recipe 55

FRENCH ONION SOUP DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan on medium-low heat. Add the onions, sugar, salt, and pepper, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may have to turn your heat down to low if you find them caramelizing too quickly. You want them very soft, but not burnt. You can also use the Alton Brown method: put them in an electric skillet set to 300°F, cover and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes, then start stirring every few minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the cognac. Do not pour the cognac directly into the pan from the bottle if there is a live flame; the flame could travel up the pour-stream and into the bottle, causing it to explode. Measure the cognac in a liquid measuring cup, then move the pan off the heat, pour in the cognac, and return the pan to the stove. Let the cognac reduce for 1 minute. Add the wine, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme. Season again with salt and pepper. Simmer on low for another 30 minutes.
• Set the onions into a strainer over a bowl to cool to room temperature. Reserve both the onions, and the broth that drains from them.
• Preheat the broiler. Spray two individual gratin dishes with non-stick spray, and stand them on a foil-lined baking sheet (to make for easy clean-up).
• Take a wonton wrapper in one hand. Dip a finger or small brush in the reserved broth and moisten the entire surface of one side of the wrapper. Place 1 tsp of the onions in the center of the wrapper. Bring all four corners together, pinching and twisting to form a small pouch (called a beggar's purse). Place dumpling, seam side down, into gratin dish. Continue until both dishes are full.
• Top each dish with half the Gruyère and half the Parmesan. Dot each dish with 1 tbsp of butter. Pop the dishes under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbly and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Poke a toothpick into each dumpling and garnish with chives or thyme sprigs.

FRENCH ONION SOUP WITH BEEF

Steps:

• Add cooking oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and set over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering add beef stew meat and sear until well browned on all sides.
• Once browned, remove the beef from the pot and set aside in a large bowl. Reduce the heat to medium. Deglaze any burnt on browned bits on the bottom of the pot by adding a splash of beef stock and scraping them loose with a wooden spoon. Pour off liquid into the bowl with the seared beef.
• Add butter to the pot along with sliced onions, sugar, and salt. Slowly caramelize the onions until deeply golden brown, stirring occasionally. Approximately 30 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for an additional two minutes.
• Sprinkle flour into the onion mixture, stir it around to fully incorporate and let the raw flour taste cook out for a minute or two, then add the beef and deglazing liquid back to the pot.
• Add the remaining beef stock to the pot along with wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and black pepper. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to medium low, and let simmer for two hours, or until beef is tender.
• Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, top with toasted baguette slices and shredded cheese. Place bowls under the broiler until the cheese has melted, then serve.

BEEF AND WINE SOUP WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large pot, saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in 2 tablespoons butter until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in broth, wine, tomato juice, and beef. Simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, eggs, flour, and salt until smooth. Drop mixture into soup by small teaspoonfuls. Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

FRENCH ONION SOUP WITH FRENCH BREAD TOAST

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, melt butter. Add onions and sugar; cook over low heat until lightly browned, about 1 hour. , Sprinkle flour over onions and stir until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Add the water, salt, dried onion, bouillon, garlic salt and pepper., Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes., Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls. Top with a slice of toasted bread; sprinkle with cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes.