Thiol Therapy

Heavy rain blew in last night with chilly winds and I suddenly find myself feeling incredibly home sick. Yes, I am technically in the place that I live, but I am far from the place I call home. The UK has a special place in my heart and though I haven't spent the majority of my days there, it is of no consequence to my soul who calls it home. Home is where the heart is, which means pieces of my heart are scattered all over. My brother & his lovely wife are far away in Aberdeen, my oil man is working off exotic shores 100 feet above the ocean on a drilling rig, and my mum & dad, busy with company, are excitedly planning their next adventure in just a few short days. Not particularly looking forward to their impending departure, partly due to my jealousy of their future adventure but mostly because I will miss them while they are gone, I felt it was only appropriate to treat them to one of my favorite cold weather comfort foods, French Onion Soup. I hope you enjoy my recipe as much as they did!


French Onion Soup

 The Odds & Ends
2 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 tsp of salt
1 large red onion
1 small - medium sweet onion
24oz Chicken Broth
10oz beef broth
1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 sprigs fresh Parsley
2 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
French Bread
Sliced Gruyere
Shredded Asiago & Mozarella mixed
additional salt and pepper to taste

Turn Up the Heat
1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium to high heat.
2. Lower temperature slightly to a medium heat and combine red onions, sweet onions and salt to the melted butter and cook for at least half an hour to allow the onions to caramelize. (Try not to stir too often as it will allow the onions to caramelize better.)
3. Once the onions are nicely caramelized pour in the chicken & beef broths followed by the red wine and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Stir until they have mixed into each other and then add the bay leaf along with the fresh parsley & thyme.
5. Put the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Having heard your buzzer ring, reduce the temperature to medium-low, fish out the fresh herbs and mix in the vinegar along with salt & pepper to taste before putting the lid back on.
7. Slice your french bread into chunky pieces (about 1 inch thick) and allow to toast slightly under the oven broiler.
8. Once both sides have been toasted, remove from heat but leave oven on broil.
9. Arrange your oven safe bowls on a baking sheet.
10. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with your onion soup.
11. Top each bowl with the toasted bread (it should fill the top of the bowl), 2 slices of Gruyere, and  a large portion of the shredded cheese.
12. Place the baking sheet of bowls under the broiler and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
13. The cheese should ooze over the sides forming a crusty seal on top.
14. Serve & Enjoy



(On this occasion I did not have a baking sheet available, so I simply filled the bowls lower so that the cheese could not ooze over. Although not ideal, I promise it is just as tasty!)

**For those of you who are wondering, Thiol is the vapor released from onions that makes you cry.