French onion soup
Feels like a warm hug Ingredients - 2 tbspns olive oil - 5 brown onions sliced or (for more texture: 1/2 through stalk and cut into segments with grain) - 2 star anise (for meaty flavour) - 30g butter - 150g dry white wine - 1kg beef stock or veg/mushroom stock for vegetarian (reduced salt) - 2 tbspns brandy or cognac - Sherry vinegar - Baguette, - Dijon mustard, - grueyere/cheddar - Chives Method Soup 1) Add oil to thick bottom pan over medium/high heat, saute onion stirring till starting to brown 2) Turn down heat to low, add butter and stir regularly till as dark as possible without burning or sticking to base 3) Remove star anise, increase heat to medium add white wine and reduce till almost dry 4) Add beef stock and gentle simmer till reduced by ½ 5) Add sherry vinegar and salt/pepper to taste Finishing 6) Put oven on grill setting Spread a thin layer of mustard on the baguette 7) Place on top of oven proof bowls, cover with cheese (the more the merrier) 8) Grill bowls till cheese is melted golden and traditionally melting down the sides. Sprinkle with chives. - Sweet Taste - Lots of cheese has Calcium and is probiotic - Onion has prebiotic inulin/fibre great to feed supportive gut bacteria
~ Recipe adapted from Heston Blumenthal ~