SYDNEYCIDERS’ ISO FRENCH ONION SOUP
BY CORINNE MOSSATI
Sydneyciders’ ISO French Onion Soup is a take on the classic French Onion Soup using Sydney Brewery Sydney Cider. The cider lends a lingering sweetness that complements the 10-hour slow cooked caramelised onions served with Gruyere cheese croutons.
Sydneyciders’ ISO French Onion Soup recipe was entered into the 2020 Sydney Brewery Beer & Cider Cooking Competition by Corinne Mossati.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 4-6 servings depending on how hungry you are!
For the Soup
1 kg brown onions, peeled, sliced thinly from top to bottom
2x 30g butter, melted
¾ cup Sydney Brewery Sydney Cider
2 tablespoons white flour
4 cups of beef broth (chicken or vegetable stock will do)
3 bay leaves
1 bouquet garni (or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 4 sprigs of fresh French tarragon, 4 sprigs of parsley tied with twine)
Salt and pepper
For the Croutons
1 baguette, sliced
shredded Gruyere cheese
METHOD
- The night before, put your onions in the fridge. Your eyes will thank you the next day.
- The next morning, take the onions out of the fridge, peel them, cut them in half lengthwise and slice them thinly from top to bottom. It’s OK to cry, promise I won’t tell.
- Put the sliced onions in the slow cooker.
- Take 30g of butter (none of that fake stuff), melt it in the microwave and add it to the slow cooker.
- Using a long spoon (ensure you maintain a safe distance during COVID-19 times), mix the sliced onions and butter and set the timer to 10 hours. (What? Would you rather stand up and constantly stir to caramelise the onions on the stove top for about an hour? Up to you.)
In the meantime, you can binge on Netflix or have a zoom meeting with your besties while sipping on Sydney Brewery Agave Ginger Cider with a shot of Mezcal. Boom.
- Check on the onions every hour or so, giving them a stir or they may start to feel neglected and stick to the bottom. The kitchen will become perfumed with the sweet scent of cooked onions, After 10 hours, the onions would have cooked down and turned a dark brown colour.
- In a large pot, add the cooked onions and some of the juices. Add the other 30g of butter and cook on medium to high heat for 10 to 15 minutes. You want to caramelise the onions further and give them the oomph they’ve been missing on while isolating in the slow cooker.
- Open your bottle of Sydney Brewery Sydney Cider and take a sip. How good was that! Add ¾ of a cup of Sydney Cider and stir it in until it’s almost evaporated. Don’t worry, you want the flavour not the booze.
- Add 2 tablespoons of white flour and cook for one minute or so.
- Add the beef broth in batches, followed by the bay leaves and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper and use that long spoon to give it a good mix.
- Lower the heat, cover the pan and let it simmer for half an hour while you finish the bottle of Sydney Cider and chill.
- Before serving, slice the baguette, top with shredded gruyere cheese and put under the griller until it’s melted.
- To serve, put on your favourite music and open another bottle of Sydney Cider. Ladle the soup into a bowl, float one or two pieces of cheesy croutons on top and enjoy!