Jean Pierre's Maman's Onion Soup

In April of this year I co-hosted a bridal shower in Newtown, PA at Jean Peirre’s demonstration kitchen.  It was a great experience and I bought Jean Peirre’s  cookbook subtitled Lessons from a Master Chef.  This is the first thing I have made from this book and I really liked it. This is his mother’s recipe and it serves 6 as a start to a meal.  I served larger portions, but have a a great amount of soup leftover.   It is different from the French Onion Soup we are used to, served with gobs of cheese, in most restaurants.  Jim had a little trouble with it as it was different.  Jim doesn’t do different. 

Ingredients:

4 large Bermuda onions, peeled and sliced

¼ stick butter

½ C flour

1 qt. red wine (I bottle will do, just add more broth)

1 qt. chicken stock (I used homemade vegetable broth)

1 qt. water

1/8 t nutmeg, freshly grated

Salt and pepper

6 eggs

3 t white vinegar

1 t curry powder

6 slices French bread

¾ C Swiss cheese, grated

Directions:

1.      Sweat Bermuda onions slices in butter for about 50 minutes.  (Be careful not to burn.  Reduced the heat as they begin to caramelize.)

2.      Add the flour to the onions and stir to brown about 3 minutes. 

3.      Add red wine, stock, water, and nutmeg.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  (I added 1 ½ t. salt and about a teaspoon of pepper.)

4.      Grate the cheese and spread 1 T Swiss cheese on top of each piece of French bread.  Toast the bread so that the cheese melts. 

5.      In a large pan, bring water to boiling point and add vinegar and curry powder to the water.  Crack open eggs and add them to the water.  Poach eggs for about 3 minutes. 

6.      To serve, place 1 T Swiss cheese in bottom of each soup bowl.  Ladle soup into bowls.  Top each with the French bread toast.  Carefully place 1 poached egg on top of the cheese toast.