Matty Matheson's Cookbook & FABULOUS Onion Soup

I like meat in a cookbook whether it’s a vegetarian cookbook, a pastry cookbook, a cookie cookbook, or not. By “meat” I mean something that I can sink my teeth into. Stories, history, passion, I read cookbooks like I read novels, and when one comes along that provides me with all of this, plus recipes, I’m sold!

 Matty Matheson: A Cookbook is, according to his own words, “an honest recollection of the food that molded [me] and made [me] the cook I am today.” This book is about his beginnings with his family at the beach where they would eat oysters, mussels, and clams harvested from the surrounding waters. It’s about early memories with grandparents and with siblings. The early days of his career, and the cities and restaurants that formed him into the chef that he is today. Along with the stories, are colorful photos, and mouthwatering recipes. The pictures are enticing, the text is engaging, and there is something in this cookbook that everyone will enjoy.

I tried a number of recipes, but the recipe that struck a chord with me the most, was his recipe for French onion soup. I have made a lot of French onion soup in my day, but never one that contained yellow onions, red onions, pearl onions, shallots, and cipollini onions. In addition to all of these wonderful onions, there are three different wines — Madeira, Port, and Sherry. Imagine the intense flavor that you’re going to get from these ingredients. Well, frankly, you can’t imagine it, you have to make it. The aroma is heady, the soup is rich, complex, and oh, so flavorful. The toasted bread and melted cheese are an ambrosial combination on top of the most delicious soup you will ever eat. One caveat, because I was raised on Famous-Barr’s French Onion Soup that has a thicker, more gravy-like texture, I did stir in a cornstarch slurry near the end of the cooking time to slightly thicken the soup.

This book is yet another wonderful offering from Abrams; the recipe for the onion soup is above. You’re going to have to buy the book (you can find it here) to get more, but you won’t be disappointed.

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Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by Abram Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Famous-Barr's French Onion Soup



Hot from the broiler, Gruyere-laden French Onion Soup

During it's heyday, Famous-Barr, a major department store in St. Louis (sadly, now it's become Macy's) had a wonderful chef create an even more wonderful version of French Onion Soup. It was thick and rich, and came from the kitchen in a McCoy pottery brown drip soup bowl (like the one pictured here, itself a genuine McCoy) bubbling with melted Gruyere cheese atop two slices of French baguette. It was heaven in a bowl! The store used to sell the soup frozen, along with packages of grated Gruyere cheese and fresh baguettes so you could reproduce that onion-y goodness at home. But over the course of time, the gourmet food section in the store closed, followed closely by the bakery and candy departments. Fortunately the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published the recipe so onion soup fanciers could make this version at home. I've had a lot of onion soup in my day, even in Paris, but this recipe beats them all.

FAMOUS-BARR'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

5 lbs onions, unpeeled

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground

2 tablespoons paprika

1 bay leaf

7 (16 ounce) cans beef broth, divided (recommended Swanson's)

1 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

French baguettes

Gruyere cheese

Peel onions and slice 1/8 inch thick, preferably in a food processor. Melt butter in a 6-quart (or larger) stockpot. Add onions; cook, uncovered, over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (The long cooking time makes the onions mellow and sweet.) Stir in pepper, paprika and bay leaf; saute over low heat 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Pour in 6 cans broth and wine. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Dissolve flour in remaining 1 can broth. Stir into boiling soup. Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 2 hours. Adjust color to a rich brown with caramel coloring, season with salt. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, heat soup in microwave or on stove top. If desired, pour into ovenproof crocks or bowls. Top with a slice of bread and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Heat under the broiler until cheese melts and bubbles, about 5 minutes.

Leftover soup can be frozen.

 

Foodie Friday is hosted by Michael at Designs by Gollum.