History of Sorts

A Recipe for French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

6 large onions, noble in stature, sliced with care
2 tablespoons of butter, as golden as the sun in the sky
2 cloves of garlic, minced with artful hand
4 cups of beef broth, rich and deep, akin to the best of life’s nectar
1 cup of white wine, for the soul’s merry delight
A bouquet garni (thyme and bay leaves, in fragrant union)
1 teaspoon of salt, seasoned with wisdom
Freshly ground black pepper, as dark as the night’s embrace
4 slices of hearty, crusty bread, fit for kings
1 ½ cups of Gruyère cheese, finely grated, as delicate as a summer’s morn
Instructions:

Prepare the onions, fair and bright:
Take thine onions, peeled and sliced with the grace of a noble lady’s hair. Place them into a pot of shining steel or clay, wherein thou canst cook them slowly, as fate doth unfold in time.

Melt the butter, a gilded sun:
In a large cauldron, melt the butter upon a fire, gentle yet strong, as a monarch’s rule. Stir therein the onions, and allow them to cook o’er low flame, their sweetness unfolding like the petals of a rose. Stir with patience, until their color doth turn a deep amber, as the setting sun at eventide, ’twill take an hour or more.

Summon forth the garlic and wine:
Once thy onions have become a rich, golden hue, add the garlic, minced fine as the thoughts of a poet. Stir in the wine, its fragrance as sweet as Juliet’s breath. Let it simmer for but a moment, as if the world itself is holding its breath.

Pour in the broth, deep as a lover’s vow:
Now, add the beef broth, pouring it in like the flowing of a gentle stream through the valley of time. Add the bouquet garni, salt, and pepper, that the flavors may rise and dance in perfect harmony. Bring the potion to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and let it rest upon the fire for 20 minutes, as the bard’s pen doth rest before writing the final line.

Prepare the bread, sturdy as a knight’s shield:
While the soup doth brew, take thy bread, and toast it golden upon the fire. When crisped, remove it from the hearth and set it aside.

Grate the cheese, rich as a king’s ransom:
Grate the Gruyère with thine own hands, so that it might cover the bread in a blanket as soft as the clouds of a spring morn.

Assemble, as lovers do, in perfect union:
When thy soup is ready, ladle it into bowls most hearty. Place a slice of toasted bread atop each, and cover it with the Gruyère cheese, as a lover doth place a kiss upon the brow of their beloved.

The final touch, like a crown upon a monarch’s head:
Place thy bowls under the broiler for but a moment, till the cheese melts and bubbles, golden as the throne of kings. Remove them from the heat, and prepare thyself for a feast of celestial bliss.

Serve and partake:
Serve this hearty dish with care, and partake in the warm embrace of this creation. Let the flavor linger upon thy tongue, as sweet as a summer’s day in Verona.

Thus, with joy and mirth, thou hast made the finest French onion soup, a feast to stir the heart and soul.