Читать книгу Skinnytaste Cookbook - Gina Homolka - Страница 46

Serves 6

What’s the best part of French onion soup? The melted cheese on top of the savoury broth that’s loaded with sweet caramelized onions. Personally, I’ve never cared for the soggy bread – I’d rather save my carbs for something I really enjoy. So instead I make a cheese crisp to float on top. Not only is it easy, but the combination of the two cheeses is also absolutely heavenly.

SOUP

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

900g sweet brown onions, cut into 2 to 3mm slices

¼ cup (50ml) dry sherry

¼ cup (50ml) dry white or red wine

2 tablespoons plain flour (use glutinous rice flour* for gluten-free)

8 cups (2 litres) good-quality low-salt beef stock

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

Freshly ground black pepper

6 (25g) slices lighter Swiss cheese

PARMESAN-ASIAGO CRISPS

½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup (25g) freshly grated Asiago cheese†

*Read the label to be sure this product is gluten-free.

For the soup: In a Dutch oven or large nonstick pot, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onions and slowly cook until they become soft, stirring from time to time, about 30 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the onions begin to caramelize, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add the sherry and wine and reduce the heat to low, stirring any brown bits stuck to the pot. Simmer until the liquid cooks down and evaporates, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, thyme and bay leaf, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the onions are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the herbs, and then season with black pepper to taste.

† If you can’t find Asiago cheese, either Pecorino Romano or extra Parmesan would work well as an alternative.

For the Parmesan-Asiago crisps: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or baking parchment.

In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan and Asiago. Put 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto the baking sheet and lightly pat it with your fingers into a 10cm round. Repeat with the remaining cheese to make 6 rounds, leaving a 1cm space in between each. Bake until golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

When ready to serve, preheat the grill.

Ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof soup bowls, lay one cheese crisp on top of each (it should float), and then lay 1 slice of Swiss cheese over each crisp. Put the bowls on a baking sheet.

Grill until the cheese melts, watching closely so that it doesn’t burn, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

skinnyscoop

For perfect Parmesan-Asiago crisps every time, I’ve found it’s best to grate the cheese yourself. Pre-grated cheese just doesn’t have enough flavour or the right texture.