Relishing Find 尋味: French Onion Soup 法式洋蔥湯

French onion soup must be one of the most romantic soups - doesn't the warmth and sweetness just make your heart melt? There's nothing I like better than to enjoy this on the coldest winter day, with a nice bottle of red. I made it for our Valentine's day dinner, followed by a simple, nice steak.
Despite its sophisticated taste, it's very easy to make - as long as you have the time.

法式洋蔥湯一定是最浪漫的湯之一了，那濃濃的暖意和焦糖的味道能把心都溶掉。我最喜歡的就是在最冷的冬天喝上一碗法式洋蔥湯，配著杯好紅酒。這個情人節的晚餐就是這樣，再加上一塊肉汁鮮美的牛扒。
法式洋蔥湯的味道複雜但是做法卻很簡單，只要有時間就行了。

I only made it for two this time.

Ingredients:
for the soup
           1: big onion (thinly sliced)
        1clove: garlic (chopped fine)
   2 slices: bacon (chopped fine)
      1 cup: beef broth (some use half beef broth half chicken broth)
           1: bouquet garni (thyme, sage, bay leaves - I just used dried ones)
   half a cup: dry Vermouth (or red wine)
   1 tbsp: brandy
   1 tbsp: butter
   1 tbsp: flour
   a pinch: salt and pepper

for the topping
a few slices: french bread (toasted till brown)
      a cup: Gruyere cheese (or Emmental, a few thin slices then the rest shredded)
       a pinch: parsley (chopped)

Directions:
1. Cook bacon and onion - Melt butter in pan (non-stick will save a lot of trouble) and saute bacon
until crispy, add garlic and saute until fragrant then add onion and cook until soft and translucent.
2. Caramelize onion - Turn the heat to lowest, cook onion until dark brown (no lid). This will take
    an hour and half or even longer, the more caramelized the onion is the tastier the soup will be. It's
quite easy with a good non-stick pan, onion can be left cooking while stirring every 20 minutes or
    so. But with a pan that would stick you need to be careful not to get it burnt.
3. Cook soup - Turn on high heat and pour in Vermouth and brandy (I like to shut the lid for a minute
so the goodness from the evaporation sets back into the onion) to deglaze the pan, reduce a little -
you should have a nice caramel coloured liquid now. Pour in broth and drop in the bouquet garni,
    bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Thickening soup - Stir in flour to thicken the soup, season to taste (bouquet garni can come out
    now).
5. Topping - Pre-heat over to 175 degrees, pour soup in oven safe serving bowls, lay sliced cheese on
surface of soup then lightly drop on the bread. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top then bake until
    cheese has melted (10minutes or so). Turn oven grill on and slightly brown the top of cheese.
6. Serve - Sprinkle on parsley and serve. (I forgot the parsley)

這是兩人的份量：

食材：
湯：
1顆大顆的洋蔥（切薄片）
一瓣蒜頭（切碎）
2片培根（切碎）
一杯牛肉高湯（也可以一半牛肉一半雞肉）
    1束 bouquet garni （法式香料包，由百里香，鼠尾草和香葉組成，我這裡直接用散裝了，
            香葉一片煮完取出，另外兩種一茶匙就好）
半杯干苦艾酒（或紅酒）
1湯匙白蘭地
1湯匙牛油
1湯匙麵粉
少許鹽和胡椒粉

湯的蓋子：
幾片法包（烤至咖啡色）
一杯瑞士Gruyere芝士（或瑞士大孔芝士，切一些薄片後剩下的刮碎）
少許新鮮洋芫茜（切碎）

做法：
1，煎培根和洋蔥－ 中火融化牛油（不沾鍋會省事很多）後煎香培根，加入蒜頭煎香，放入
      洋蔥煎至半透明。
2，洋蔥焦糖化－ 調至最小火慢慢地將洋蔥煎至深棕色，整個過程要一個半小時或者更久
   （洋蔥越焦糖化湯味道越香）不要蓋鍋蓋。如果用不沾鍋就很容易了，每20分鐘左右翻攪一
      下就好，但沒有不沾鍋的話就要小心不要燒焦了。
3，煮湯－ 調至大火，加入苦艾酒和白蘭地，蓋上鍋蓋一分鐘讓蒸汽吸收，攪拌幾下，這時
      洋蔥會融化，有黏在鍋子上的東西也都下來了，鍋里是焦糖漿一樣的液體。加入高湯和香
      料包，煮沸後小火微滾30分鐘。
4，濃縮湯－ 加入麵粉讓湯變得更濃稠，加鹽和胡椒調味（香料包取出）
5，蓋子－ 烤箱預熱至175度，將湯倒入可加熱的碗里。在湯的表面輕輕排上芝士薄片（用來
      支撐法包），輕輕放上法包，再灑上碎芝士。放入烤箱烤至芝士融化（大概10分鐘），再
      將烤箱調至燒烤來稍微焦化芝士表面。
6，上桌－ 灑上一點洋芫茜就可以新鮮熱辣地上桌了！（我忘記放了）