I thought I’d take a trip into soup world one more time, and have for you, an original recipe for a luxurious soup that’s guaranteed to impress.
French Onion Soup is one of my favourite things to eat. I’ve always been amazed by the transformation that takes place as an onion changes from something strong and bitter, into something incredibly sweet and delicious.
Shallots are a bit of a chef’s secret – they are a member of the onion family, but have a softer, more delicate taste, and are frequently used for
sauce-making. I’ve never seen a shallot soup on a menu, so I thought, why not try one myself.
Strangely enough, the day before I was going to attempt this soup, I came across a quick 10 second video clip of a Thomas Keller shallot
soup.
Thomas Keller is a culinary god, and the most highly revered chef in the United States. In this recipe, I’ve done my best to recreate what
was being eaten on screen at Keller’s restaurant, The French Laundry, where dinners cost upwards of $250 per person.
I was amazed by the delicate flavour of the shallots. Sweet, yet subtle and delicious. The acidity added by the vinegar and the wine
complements the sweetness, so as not to make everything sickly sweet. By straining multiple times, the soup is left silky smooth, and the garnish adds some freshness, and a nice variety of flavour.
Ingredients – (Makes about 300 ml of soup, and serves 2-3
people)
For the soup:
- 1 kg of banana shallots, halved lengthwise –( these are big, long shallots)
- Olive oil
- Sea salt or kosher salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 30 ml white wine vinegar
- 60 ml of Noilly Prat vermouth, or white wine – (white
cooking wine will do as well)
- 600 ml low sodium chicken stock – (easier to
control salt levels)
- 50 ml of 35% cream
For the shallot-scallion-chive garnish:
- 3 small shallots, halved lengthwise
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 150 ml of water
- Two pinches of sea salt/kosher salt
- 1 spring onion/green onion (aka scallion) stalk,
cut in half lengthwise, and sliced into 1.5 inch pieces
- A few inches of chives, finely chopped
Tools
- Blender/Food Processor
- Strainer
- Small pot
- Cheesecloth (optional)
Steps
For the soup:
- Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Put your shallots in a roasting pan, flat side
up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. When the oven is hot,
put the shallots in the oven. - After 30 minutes, taking the shallots out, and
rotate them around. Put them back in for approx. 30 minutes moreYou want the shallots to soften, and brown
a little bit, but not much. - Put the shallots in a pot with two tablespoons
of butter, over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. - Deglaze with 30 ml of white wine vinegar, and
reduce to a syrupy texture. This should take approx. 2 minutes. - Deglaze with 60 ml of Noilly Prat vermouth (or
white wine), and reduce to a syrup. This should take approx 2-3 minutes. - Pour in 600 ml of chicken stock. Simmer gently
for 15 minutes. - Puree until smooth, and strain multiple times.If you want a very smooth soup, line your
strainer with one layer of cheesecloth, and pour through, shaking the strainer
gently to move the liquid around. Reserve the soup.
For the shallot-scallion-chive garnish:
- Put the butter, water, shallots (flat side
down), and salt in a small pot. - Bring to a boil, and simmer over medium heat for
10 minutes. Shake the pot gently to emulsify (mix) the butter, so that it forms
a uniform cream colour.Using this basic glazing technique,
you can glaze many kinds of vegetables. Carrots, baby onions and leeks work
extremely well. Carrots take longer as they are a harder vegetable. As such,
use a bit more water, and a bit more butter. Ideally, you want the vegetable to
be cooked when almost all the water has evaporated, and the butter has formed a
cream-coloured glaze. - Take the shallots out of the liquid, and reserve
on a paper towel.
To finish:
- Pour the 50 ml of 35% cream into the soup, and
simmer gently for 4 minutes or until a texture you enjoy. - Correct the seasoning with sea salt or kosher
salt, and pour into a bowl. - Put a few of your chopped chives into the scallion
as shown in the picture. - Place a glazed shallot in the soup, and lay the
scallion-chive garnish over it, as shown.Feel free to add another shallot-scallion-chive garnish to the soup if you’d
like.
Bon Appetit!