soupe à l'oignon gratinée

Soupe à l'oignon gratinée was the first soup I drank in the now no-longer-exist The French Stall. I can still remember how I had to pull the cheese. French onion soup is usually quite difficult to find in some western food restaurants ( it’s always the cream of mushroom or cream of chicken) in SIN, so if I do come across it in the menu I would order. 

10th Dec (Wed)

Shopping for ingredients. I’m lost for choices in the wines section. I’m glad they have small bottles of wines for sale. 

Bought this Shiraz Cabernet 

15th Dec (Mon)

Saya tak boleh tahan the onions. I menangis when I was cutting them. 😂

Transferred the soup into this pot coz I needed Ms Thermie to cook dinner. One regret as I looked into this pot, I should have put the thyme in a stock bag so I don’t have to deal with the bits and pieces floating in the soup and risked having the girls fussing about and not drinking.yup! They’re that irritating fussy! Next time their kids will do the same to them, just like I did to my mom 😂. It runs in da family …..

RECIPE USED :

It was a crazy mix of cooking today. Cooked angmoh soup, and cooked the Chinese dishes for our dinner 😂. Lil’ one drank some soup although she said it tastes different. I feel it tastes the same just that it’s oily. 

Time to pack the soup. I can’t remember when and where (online) I bought these silicone tray. I have another one tray which is probably 150ml?? 

Left with this amount of red wine

16th Dec (Tue) 

@ 2+ took these out and started packing them. First time I’m doing this kind of packing at 50yrs old 😉. I love it when I see the soup all frozen in perfect cubes. Then the saddest thing happened. Although I was diligent to just take one tray out from the freezer at a time, and trying to work as fast as I can. My first two packs didn’t have perfect cuboid shape the moment I vacumn seal them. Somehow there are some liquid soup and it got vacumned and dirtied my sealer. Weather too hot? I need to do this kind of job in a huge chiller? My last pack, yes with saving grace, turns out well. Yah coz while I was grouching over the imperfect packing for the two I put the tray back in the freezer for a while 

Ps. I just learnt that a chamber vacumn sealer works well for those with liquid. Machine is huge!

I left the last tray of two cubes untouched coz I wanted to try the soup in the evening.

I love how the cubes come out so beautiful.

Slightly less than 200ml will fill up this bowl to this height, a manageable portion I would say. I don’t have baguette so used the Low GI multigrain bread we have at home 

While looking for recipes I came across recipes asking for one thing or the other. The following will be those doubtful questions I have. 

研究过的食谱

Why some recipes ask for bay leaf and some don’t? Why some ask for white wine and others ask for red wine? Lastly why some recipes ask for butter and some don’t? 

Question 1 : What does Bay leaf do? 

Bay leaves add a subtle, earthy, slightly minty, and complex background aroma to French onion soup, enhancing the sweet caramelized onions and savory broth without

overpowering them, creating a deeper "je ne sais quoi" flavor that is key to the soup's comforting profile, often alongside thyme. They infuse the broth slowly during simmering but must be removed before serving as they are tough and bitter if eaten.

What it does

• Adds depth: Infuses a savory, woodsy, herbal note that complements the onions and beef broth.
• Enhances other flavors: Acts as a flavor enhancer, making the overall taste more complex and less one-dimensional.
• Provides aroma: Contributes to the rich, comforting smell of the soup as it simmers. 

How to use it

• Add early: Place whole bay leaves in the broth as it simmers for a long time to extract flavor.
• Remove before serving: Always take out the leaves before ladling the soup into bowls, as they don't soften and can be unpleasant.
• Use sparingly: One or two leaves are usually enough; too many can make the soup bitter.

Question 2 : Does using olive oil only, butter only or both makes any difference to the soup? 

It is not strictly necessary to use olive oil for French onion soup, but some form of fat is required to caramelize the onions. Traditionally, butter is the primary fat used for its flavor, though a blend of butter and olive oil is common in modern recipes. 

Why Fat is Needed

The fat is crucial for the foundational step of the soup: caramelizing the onions. This process develops the rich, sweet, and deep flavor that defines French onion soup. Without fat, the onions would burn or steam rather than brown. 

Options for Cooking Fat

• Butter (Traditional): Many classic and authentic recipes use all butter for its distinct rich flavor.

• Butter and Olive Oil Blend (Common): This is a popular approach in modern cooking because the olive oil helps raise the smoke point of the butter, preventing it from burning during the long caramelization process. This is a great option for balancing flavor and ease of cooking.
• Olive Oil Only: You can use only olive oil, which makes the soup a bit lighter and dairy-free/vegan if using vegetable stock. High-quality extra virgin olive oil can add a unique, peppery or fruity flavor complexity to the dish.
• Other Fats: Duck fat is another rich option used by some chefs, which can be skimmed off later. 

In conclusion, while olive oil provides benefits like a higher smoke point and health benefits, butter is generally considered more traditional. A blend is often the best compromise for flavor and ease of preparation.

One thing that I left SQ without the skills is the ability to taste wines. Yah! We had to try the wines and say it’s fruity or floral bouquet. 我实在太烂了 I can’t tell. Simi full bodied and what nots, all I taste is the horrible taste. To Mr John Chua, the sommelier and CCE/T whom I met while I was working in the bank 我领你太失望了。

Difference between Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon offers structured dark fruit (blackcurrant, cherry) with earthy notes (mint, cedar, graphite) and firm tannins, while Shiraz (Syrah) is bolder, fruitier (blackberry,plum, spice), often with peppery, smoky, or meaty undertones, and generally smoother tannins, making Cab more age-worthy and Shiraz more approachable young, though blends offer a mix. 

Cabernet Sauvignon

• Flavors: Blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry, often with mint, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, or chocolate notes from oak.

• Structure: Full-bodied, high tannins, firm acidity, creating a complex, dry finish.

• Profile: Elegant, structured, great for aging. 

Shiraz (Syrah)

• Flavors: Ripe blackberry, plum, sweet red fruit, with distinct black pepper, spice, smoke, or meaty notes.

• Structure: Full-bodied, powerful, but often with smoother, more moderate tannins than Cab.

• Profile: Bold, fruit-forward, often enjoyed younger for its vibrancy. ®

Key Differences Summarized

• Fruit vs. Spice: Cab leans to dark, tart fruit; Shiraz to rich, ripe fruit with spicy/peppery hints.

• Tannins: Cab is tannic and structured; Shiraz is smoother, more supple.

• Aging: Cab excels in cellars; Shiraz is great for immediate drinking. 

Question 3 : Is Shiraz Cabernet or Cabernet Sauvignon better for cooking french onion soup?  

** few cooks attest that Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir give food it’s stunning flavour. 

A recipe I came across asked for white wine. Huh? 🤔 Aiyoh! I’m not going to link any websites related to the wines anymore, I need to get this post posted now (a week later and I’m still drafting this post)