Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Les Miserables French Onion Soup

OK L.A.B. Rats, we are the day after Christmas, and other than New Years Eve, the only thing we have left to do for the next 10 weeks is read books, make soup and drink expensive booze....right?

Today I am going to give you guys a French Onion Soup recipe that is to die for, but first....let's take a few seconds to relive the Klecko Christmas.

As per usual, parts of the Klecko clan went to the cinema for Christmas.

One thing that was a little different is this year there wasn't a "must see" movie for the Last American Baker.

I'm the member of the fam that usually leads the movie caravan, but since I had nothing in particular I wanted to see, I left it up to the mob.

They chose Les Miserables.

They chose a movie about French people.

They chose a musical.

Now typically I would have just gone with the flow, but who wants to spend Christmas with the French?????

Even if it is just on the big screen.

So tickets are purchased, and there we are standing in the concession line.

I should mention, we are at the Grandview Theatre, and this particular venue is privatlely owned, and sometimes can draw a pretentious crowd.....like on Christmas.

Like when "Les Mis" is debuting.

So now just ahead of us in the concession line is a big guy, as big as me, and he is standing there with a woman.

Both of these people are wearing cynical expressions, almost as if they were 1/2 academic and 1/2 goth.

So now the big guy (who is wearing sun glasses over his stocking cap, eventhough its 18 degrees and overcast outside) says to his female companion......

"I have to wonder if Russell Crow is going to be able to execute this role without embaressing himself.....and wasting my time."

The female companion ponders.......

Klecko starts fuming........

Doesn't this gut know that Men have rules?

And in the guy club, there is a select sub culture of "Big Men".

It is forbidden (by club standards) for a Big Man to rat out, or talk trash about another Big Man.

Sue McGleno witnesses the hampster wheel turning in Klecko's mind. She know what is inevitble and flashes a "Here we go again look" at Baby Tydus.

"Your kidding me right?" Klecko blurts out at the pretentious fop......

"Your'e a guy, and a big one at that, and you're telling me you are not going into this supporting the Gladiator?"

Everybody in the line looks because they can't really tell if I was joking or pissed, now that I think back, I'm guessing maybe both.

Then the guy not knowing what to do, and I'm guessing wanting to save face in front of his date, now he remains silent and rolls his eyes backwards as if to denote I'm not worth dealing with.....

Klecko responded...............

"Dude, you don't want to roll your eyes at me, it won't turn out good for anybody. All  I'm saying is if you are going to think you are cool by critisizing others, keep it to yourself."

And when I said this......I meant it in the spirit of Christmas.

I meant it in a Jesus flipping over maney changer tables kinda way.....I wasn't simply looking to just be a thug.

Dude gets his Milk Duds and slinks away into the show, and when I got to the counter, the young woman attendant was laughing and smiling.

"You overheard that huh?"

She nodded yes.

"Well sorry about that" I said "But when a guy talks crap about Russell Crowe, you know theres going to be a Christmas Beat Down!"

The counter woman crinkled her nose and softly clapped her hands.

Merry Christmas.

BTW.......the movie was wonderful.

FRENCH ONION SOUP
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 red onions, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine, or about 1/2 bottle
  • 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 quarts beef broth
  • 1 sourdough boule (round)
  • 1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic,  thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are caramelized,

Next add the wine, basically the nice thing about this recipe is you get to pour 1/2 and drink 1/2.

 Remember the saying that the French coined in terms of what wines to cook with...."If you are going to cook with it, you should be able to drink it as well."

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer.

Now pluck out the  thyme sprigs.

Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir.

 Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler.

Now grab your sourdough round, cut an oval slice and place it in the bottom of your soup bowls. and ladel soup over.

Finally, sprinkle Gruyere on top of the soup and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

The End

With that, I will say that often time I give my French friends a hard time, but it is only because I love most of them.

What a culture.

What art.

What food.................

3 comments:

  1. Hey, Danny, is it okay for me to make fun of Adam Sandler?

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    Replies
    1. LOL.....I will join in with you on that, however...his latest film was "almost" funny...almost.

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