French onion soup

French onion soup(French:soupe à l’oignon[supalɔɲɔ̃]) is asoupofonions, gentlyfriedand then cooked in meatstockor water, usually servedgratinéedwithcroutonsor a larger piece ofbreadcovered withcheesefloating on top.Onion soupswere known inFrancesincemedieval times, but the version now familiar dates from the mid-19th century.
Onion soups have been popular at least since Roman times.Onions, a widely grown and generally inexpensive vegetable, were familiar in France, as elsewhere, from time immemorial.Simone Beck,Louisette BertholleandJulia Childcomment in theirMastering the Art of French Cooking, "It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions".In general the onion was regarded as peasant food and the upper classes avoided it:in the middle of the 18th century a cookery book by the head chef to a French prince included a recipe for "peasant-style onion soup" –soupe à l'oignon à  la Paysanne.The food writerWaverley Rootcomments that the origins of French onion soup may lie inAlsace, although the dish is popular throughout France and "apparently no region lays particular claim to it".Onion soups from other regions include thetourainfromQuercy-Périgordand theouliatfrom theBéarn.
Although onions were plentiful and affordable by the poor,a medieval recipe inLe Ménagier de Paris, published in 1393, includes among its ingredientsgingerandsaffron– rare and expensive spices – making this version of the dish one for wealthy households.In hisLe cuisinier françois, published in 1680,François Pierre de la Varenneoffered two recipes for onion soup, in the first of which the onions are cooked in oil or butter and then simmered in water and meat broth. Hard-boiled egg yolks are added, and the finished soup is passed through a sieve.
According toAlexandre Dumasin hisGrand dictionnaire de cuisine(1873), onion soup was introduced to the royal court atVersaillesin the 18th century afterLouis XV's father-in-law, the exiled Polish KingStanislas, enjoyed it at an inn and insisted on learning the recipe. As reported by Dumas, it consisted of three main ingredients: fried onions, water and croutons.A recipe in theDictionnaire des alimens, vins et liqueurs, published during Louis XV's reign, is similar, but adds "a spoonful of good lean broth" before serving. None of these recipes call for grated cheese or gratinating.
A dining club called the "Dîner de la soupe à l'oignon" was founded in Paris in the 1810s. Its twenty members all aspired to – and eventually did – become members of theAcadémie française. They met every three months, and every dinner began with onion soup.
The modern version of French onion soup dates from the mid-19th century, inLes Halles, the large open-air market in Paris. The restaurants around the market – La Poule au Pot, Chez Baratte, Au Pied de Cochon – served the soup with a substantial topping of grated cheese, put under a grill and servedau gratin.According to one writer, the classic gratinée des Halles transcended class distinctions:
In Britain, a recipe for French onion soup was printed inThe Cook and Housewife's Manual, published in Edinburgh in 1827. It is similar to the modern version, with the onions gently cooked and then simmered in veal stock.The dish was introduced to the United States in 1861 at the New York restaurant ofHenri Mouquin.More papers in Britain began giving recipes described as "French onion soup" in the 1880s, but the cooking liquid was either milk or water thickened with flour, and no cheese, crouton or gratinating was specified.In the first half of the 20th century onion soup bars became popular in London, aroundPiccadilly Circus, staying open all night to sell onion soup to late-night party-goers.
Recipes for onion soup vary greatly. Gently cooking sliced onions in butter or oil until softened and golden is the norm, but cooks differ about the cooking liquid. Beef stock is the most popular,but some cooks specify chicken or veal stock or plain water.Many cooks add alcohol to the cooking liquid, in the form of white wine, cider,calvadosor brandy.The cheese for the gratin is usuallyGruyère,ComtéorEmmental.
Elizabeth Davidwrote inFrench Provincial Cooking, "The onion soup generally regarded as 'French', with sodden bread, strings of cheese, and half-cooked onion floating about in it, seems to me a good deal overrated and rather indigestible"; she suggested instead another French onion soup, "Tourin Bordelais", in which the onions are gently softened inlardand then cooked in water, with egg yolks added before serving to enrich the soup.
The gratinée lyonnaise, originating in the restaurants ofLyon, is a more luxurious version of the basicsoupe à l'oignon, enriched with wine, bread, eggs and gratinéed cheese.Another French onion soup isveloutéSoubise, in which puréed onions are blended with veal stock, enriched with cream and egg yolks and served with croutons.