Beef and Barley Onion Soup

Remember the Braised Short Ribs? Well, there was stock left over. I do believe that is what made this soup over the top delicious. I found this recipe, Beef and Barley Onion Soup, which I was pretty sure Chris would like.

I made a few changes in the original recipe. I did not use the mushrooms. And I did not add the slice of bread and place the bowl under the broiler. I do not have soup bowls that can go under the broiler and they do not have them in stock at Bed Bath Beyond, yes, I stopped on my way home to see if I could pick up 2 bowls. So we just sprinkled the cheese on top.

Wow Wow Wow. This was delicious. I am sure it would be just as good with a canned beef broth, but I was happy to be able to use the stock up.

This is my version of Beef and Barley Onion Soup-

Ingredients-
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup chopped shallots or onion
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) lean boneless sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch strips
4 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
10 1/2-ounce beef stock
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese


Method-
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, and ginger; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the sugar, and beef. Sauté 10 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add the next 4 ingredients (water through consommé); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Sprinkle bowls of soup with shredded Swiss Cheese.

This Note is from the original recipe. Note: This soup will freeze well for up to two months. Pour into an airtight container, leaving enough room for expansion (usually an inch or two at the top). To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator; then place contents in a saucepan over low heat, adding some liquid if necessary.

Zuppa Di Cipolle and Quiche

This was the first time I have made Onion Soup since back when I was working at New Haven Restaurant as a prep cook. There we made 25 gallons of onion soup at a time... it was one of their signature dishes.

This on the other hand was a much smaller batch of soup. The recipe came from the La Cucina Cookbook. This recipe is from the Piedmont region of Italy.

Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 lb. onions, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. flour
6 cups beef broth
slices of stale bread
Shredded Swiss Cheese

Method
Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the onions and slowly saute them until golden. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, stir then slowly add the broth, creating a creamy but not too thick soup.

At this point I toasted 2 pieces of homemade French bread. We ladled the soup into our bowls and put the toast on top. Then we sprinkled the toast with shredded Swiss Cheese. It was delicious. I think it was the wine that added the flavor. I don't know why I haven't made this before now. Chris really liked it.

I also made a Quiche with Ham and Swiss Cheese. For some reason I thought the soup would not be enough. The quiche was quite good and so simple to make. I just made a Pate Brisse for the crust and filled the shell with Rosemary Ham and some Swiss cheese.

Pate Brisée, from The Silver Palate Cookbook
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
pinch granulated sugar
5 1/2 tbsp. (2/3 stick) sweet butter, chilled
3 tbsp. vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Method
1. Sift flour, salt and sugar into a bowl. Add butter and shortening. Cut them into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal.
2. Sprinkle on and blend in enough ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork.
3. Turn dough out onto work surface and, using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you, about 1/4 cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Unwrap dough, place on a floured work surface, and pound it a few times with your rolling pin to soften it. Roll it out 1/8 inch thick, or to desired thickness.
5. Drape dough over quiche pan, ease it into the pan without stretching, pat into place. Trim off excess, and crimp edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and prick the bottom and sides well with a fork. Line the bottom of the pan with foil and fill with beans to weight the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, until dough is just beginning to color.
7. Remove from oven, remove weights and lining and cool slightly.

For filling place cheese and diced ham in crust. Beat 3 eggs and mix with 1 1/2 cups milk or cream, I use low fat milk. Season with salt, nutmeg and fresh ground pepper. Pour filling into crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until filling is set.

The quiche and the soup combined made a wonderful dinner.