Sunday, September 22, 2002

 

French Onion Soup

First course, going along with the Round Eye Roast below ...

INGREDIENTS

5 cups Lyonnaise-sliced onions (I use Spanish yellow, or plain white. I would suggest against red.)

3/4 cup wine or vermouth*

2 cans beef broth

2 shots brandy

2 TBS butter

1 TBS canola oil

2 TBS flour

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS kosher salt

1 French-style baguette (for gratinee)

1 cup grated white cheese (for gratinee)


Sweat the onion in a medium sized saucepan or pot with the oil and butter for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the sugar and salt. Allow the sugar to help carmelize the onions (about 30 minutes). When the onions are a nice carmel brown, mix in the flour. Quickly whisk in the wine, broth, and brandy, and bring the pot to a simmer. Let it simmer gently for 90 min. - 2 hr. To serve gratinee (traditional), toast small slices of the baguette and grate your cheese (Swiss, Provolone, Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack, and Asiago can all be used effectively. I would stay away from parmagiano reggiano simply because it grates so finely.) Ladle the soup over the toast slices in a serving rammekin, top with cheese and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.


*A note on the wine selection -- red or white wines may be used effectively with this recipe. I usually end up using red wines, largely because I serve it with beef dishes and it provides a nice depth of flavor. However, white wines give the soup a much lighter character and will go better as a main course. The same can be said for standard vermouths.

Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 2-3 hr.
My Grade: A
Family Grade: A+

posted by Eric 11:07 PM

 

Round Eye Beef Roast

Big meal last night, with a four-pound beef roast serving as the main course. French onion soup gratinee served as the first course, while mashed potatoes and peas accompanied the main course. A Kit-Kat bar was my dessert. Now for the recipies ...



Round Eye Roast

Nice, rare center with a crisp exterior, thanks to the Good Eats formula ...

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Small, shallow roasting pan

Digital probe thermometer

Strainer, if making jus

INGREDIENTS

Approx. 4 lb. boneless round eye roast

1 medium onion

3-4 stalks celery

3-4 large carrots

4-5 cloves garlic

Several sprigs of thyme and rosemary (or your favorite herbs)

Kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

Vegetable or canola oil


Preheat oven to 225°F. Roughly chop the celery into inch-long pieces and the carrot into half-inch pieces. Slice the onion into 8-10 wedges. Slice each garlic clove in half.
Lightly oil the roasting pan. Distribute celery, carrot, onion, and garlic onto bottom of pan. Lightly cover the roast in oil, then apply pepper and salt liberally to exterior surface. Place roast on top of vegetables and insert the probe in the roast, setting the thermometer's alarm for 120°F (medium rare). Place in the oven, and let the oven work its magic. Once the roast's temperature has reached desired doneness, remove and set oven temperature to 500°F. Return roast to the 500°F oven and let the outside crisp up (10-15 minutes). Remove the roast, place it under aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, allowing the juices to coalesce.


To make the roast au jus, place the roast on a resting rack, over a small collecting bowl (this can be done before or after resting ... I prefer to let it rest 10 min. in the pan, then move it to the rack). Deglaze the roasting pan over high heat on the stove with 1/2 cup red wine (your choice, but I think a zinfandel would go well), and 1 can or so of beef stock. For a richer jus, add about 3 TBS butter. Add the resting juices back to the pan, and strain (vegetables and all). Squeeze some more juicy goodness out of the vegetables by placing a heavy can on top of them and letting it sit for a few minutes while you carve the roast. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook Time: 2.5 - 4 hr (depends on roast size, oven, and jus)
My Grade: A
Family Grade: A

posted by Eric 10:26 PM