French Onion Soup Done My Way

A while back, a viewer asked Ken if he'd do a #frenchonionsoup #cooking video. Well, this is it!

In this video, Ken shows you how to make French onion soup his way. It takes cues from #NewOrleans style cuisine with Ken's own touches here and there. Jokingly, he called it #FloridaMan French Onion Soup.

If this video gets 1,000 likes Ken has said he'll do an Oysters Absinthe Dome recipe. So, be sure to give this video a "like" if you want to see that!

Thank you for watching. Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. It really helps the channel.

KEN'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

3 lbs. Onions (Peeled, Halved, and Thinly Sliced)
1/4 c. Fat (Butter, Olive Oil, Chicken Fat, Duck Fat, or Goose Fat Preferred)
2 c. Dry White Wine
1 - 3 tbsp. #Absinthe
6 c. Chicken or Beef Stock
1 Bay Leaf
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. Herbes de Provence
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. @McCormickVideos Peppercorn Medley Grinder
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. MSG (Optional)
1/2 - 2 tbsp. Cornstarch or Flour (Optional)
2 tbsp. Cold Butter, Thinly Sliced
Bread for Croutons, As Desired
Gouda or Swiss Cheese, As Desired

In a heavy pot, cook the onions down in the fat. For this recipe, Ken used yellow, or Spanish, onions as they are traditional. However, red onions will have more depth of flavor. Ken notes you can mix the onions with the oil and cook them in the microwave to speed up the process. (Note: If you wish to caramelize the onions in the microwave, add a pinch of baking soda and stir every five minutes until the doneness you desire). When cooking the onions on a stove top, you will need to constantly stir them so they will not burn. The onion will be done when they are a chestnut color. If you like a thicker soup, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of flour to the onions right before they brown. Add in the wine to deglaze the pan. When brought back to a boil, add in the absinthe (if using sambuca or other anise-forward spirit, Ken recommends adding in 2 - 3 tablespoons of dry vermouth or 1 tablespoon of bitters) along with two cups of broth (Ken prefers chicken so as to not overwhelm the onion flavor), the bay leaf, the herbes de Provence, pepper, and salt. After about 5 to 7 minutes, add in another two cups of stock. Let this cook for another 5 to 7 minutes before adding in the last addition of the stock with the optional MSG. If you did not add flour into the soup beforehand, and you want the soup to be thicker, you can make a slurry using cornstarch and water. Be sure to slowly add the slurry as it thickens fast. If not thickening with flour or cornstarch, Ken used cold butter at the end to thicken his soup in the traditional French style of cooking. For this recipe, Ken did not bake the soup in an oven safe container. Instead, he made croutons with sourdough, placed gouda cheese over the soup, placed croutons on top of the cheese raft, topped with more cheese, and then torched the cheese on top before serving. This did can totally be made in a microwave; however it may lack the depth of flavor this stovetop version has.