Make the garlic butter using 20g butter, 4 garlic clove and parsley finely chopped.
Trim the bread to just smaller than the ramikin.

Slowly render the onions to a deep brown. Saute 10 minutes in butter. Turn off the heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Repeat 4 or 5 times as necessary till deep brown.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and refry the onions over medium heat.
Add in the beef stock and simmer 5 minutes
Toast the bread both on both sides and butter both sides with the garlic butter.

Fill the ramekins two thirds full with the soup. Pop the bread on top. Cover with cheese and grill 4 minutes till bubbling.

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Stock::
Roast the bones, onion and carrots for 90 minutes at 190°.
Transfer to a 7L pot with Lemon Juice. Cover with 5 Litres of water. Bring to a simmer and transfer to the oven at 120° for 10 hours with the lid on. Can be overnight. 

Remove the bones and strain out the solids. Transfer between large bowls and back to 7L pot. Add Tabasco sauce, Vegemite, Tomato paste, Coriander seeds, Thyme, Paprika, Pepper and Cummin. Low boil and reduce by a third to about 2 litres. 90 minutes. Cool rapidly and then refrigerate. Remove the solid fat and decant into usable quantities. Freeze for future use.

Can you say making your own stock from beef bones is better than supermarket stock. The difference in the final outcome in most dishes is so slight. However in this dish it is critical. This stock is thick and gelatinous and really does make a better soup.

5 Large Brown Onions sliced
40g Butter salted
300ml Beef stock Homemade
50ml Marsala
Pepper
40g Butter

20g butter
4 cloves garlic
Parsley
White bread Sliced thick
60g Grated Cheese (soft)
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Stock::
2.5 kg Beef Bones
1 Onion, 2 Carrots,
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Tabasco Sauce,
1 Tbs Vegemite
1 Tbs Tomato paste,
1 Tbs Coriander
2 Tbs Thyme dried,
1 Tbs Paprika
1 Tbs Cummin,
1 Tbs Cracked Pepper.
And whatever else except salt.

 

This is a recipe that seems to have a hold over us. Almost a mysterious recipe served in ancient castles in Europe. Amazingly, it almost never appears on restaurant menus, now or in the past. The only time I have ordered it off a menu was at a restaurant inside the city walls of Nuremberg castle. And it was good.

It really is quite simple to do with very basic ingredients. The beef stock is the key. See below for my stock recipe or use your own. If you use supermarket stock maybe flavour it up with vegemite or bonox or similar. The bread is open to choice. Sour dough is good. But I like white bread. Large brown onions are great. Slowly render the onions down over a few hours. If you just cook till deep brown in one go your onions are more fried.   Cheese is wide open. The better the cheese the better the outcome. Cheddar and gruyere is good.

This recipe easily ramps up. Quadruple the ingredients into one large dish served at the table.



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