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Suzen and I were delighted to see that Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase has been republished by Workman just last September.

We love Sarah’s books and Cold-Weather Cooking is filled with solutions to a problem Suzie and I face today: the chill factor outside our Manhattan apartment is 16 below. We are leaving for our upstate getaway where the chill factor is a mere 5 below. Still we will need something warm, and we just might repeat last weekend’s meal from Cold-Weather Cooking.

It was equally cold and we needed something nourishing and warm. Ideally, we wanted a “one stop” dish, one complete enough in substance and flavor to be our entire meal.

We actually stumbled into this recipe. Earlier in the week, we were across the street at a favorite Tribeca restaurant, The Independent. We go there frequently and we no longer receive menus after we sit. Instead, we come in the door and they already know what we want: Suz and I will each have a Caesar Salad and we’ll split a burger. We were finishing our salads when the couple next to us were served two bowls of French Onion Soup. It looked really good. It smelled even better. And Suzen and I had instant regret. I had to restrain myself from asking for just one spoonful.

The couple spoke in French so I finally leaned over and asked if they were from Paris. They are from Brussels but were kind about my request. They are often presumed to be French by Americans with tin ears for accents. Yes, they said, the soup was delicious. We traded business cards and when we next get to Brussels, we plan to all go out for onion soup.

In the meantime, I did recall seeing a recipe somewhere in some book that seemed to be a strongly different spin on onion soup. I searched my database and, voila, here it is. And here it is in its full glory. A combination of France and New England. Onions and stock, but also apple cider and then apple brandy — that Calvados. And cheese, lots of cheese broiled on top of a floating layer of thick bread.

Make this once, and your entire impression of onion soup will be changed. The apple components radically reshape the flavor. It’s still onion and it still has a bite, but the apple provides sweet undercurrents of flavor that make your eyes open wide. The abundance of cheese make this dish gooey and satisfying. It easily makes for meal on its own.

I think when we visit Brussels, we might just want drag along a quart of New York State apple cider. Our new friends will find us taking over their kitchen. They won’t mind.


Onion Soup with Cider and Cheddar Gratin

Yield: serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons [½ stick unsalted butter]
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 giant onions, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup Calvados
  • ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups orchard-pressed sweet apple cider
  • 2 ½ quarts chicken broth, preferably homemade
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 8 sliced [each 1 inch thick] French bread, lightly toasted
  • 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large stockpot over medium- high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook 10 minutes more to caramelize the onions.

Pour in the Calvados and flame it with a match, being careful to stand back from the pot. When the flames have subsided, stir in the flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Gradually stir in the cider, then the chicken broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium heat 45 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.

Ladle the hot soup into 8 ovenproof soup bowls. Top each with one of the toasted slices of French bread. Combine the grated Cheddar and Parmesan and sprinkle generously over the soup and bread. Place the soup bowls on a baking sheet and broil 6 inches from the heat until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve with big spoons and napkins

Source: Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase [Workman Published Company 2014]

Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4.5 for 1/40th second at ISO‑1000