- Rating:
- Servings:
- 6
- Difficulty:
- Total Time:
- Recipe By:
- Gale Gand and Rick Tramonto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Onion peeled halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Brandy or Cognac
- 12 cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
- 1 Bay Leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon Thyme Leaves (fresh)
- 12 Black Peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Country Mustard Grainy Dijon
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 18 small Baguette Bread Slices (about 1/4'' thick) lightly toasted
- 12 slices Gruyere Cheese
- 6 slices mozzarella cheese - thin slices
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons Organic Parsley (fresh) chopped
Directions
In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized (35-45 minutes). Add the brandy or Cognac and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook briefly, just until syrupy, then add the stock, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by one-fourth. Stir in the mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 3 days in advance. Reheat over low heat when ready to serve.)
When ready to serve, preheat the broiler or heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Ladle the soup into 6 deep, flameproof bowls. Leave at least 1/2'' of space at the top of each bowl. Top each with 3 toasted baguette slices to cover the surface, then cover the toasts with 2 slices of Gruyere and 1 slice of mozzarella.
Arrange the bowls in a roasting or baking pan then place on the oven rack and broil for 1 minute or bake for 3 minutes. Sprinkle each bowl with Parmesan and the parsley & chive mixture, rotate the pan, and return to the oven until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve immediately.
Note:
Pair with a classic Beaujolais or Cotes-Du-Rhone, a light California Syrah, or a darker lager, to set off the hearty flavors of the soup.
