The Best Winter Holiday Comfort Food

The holiday season for Canadians and most Europeans is a time for celebration that attends snowy winter conditions and rather cold temperatures. It's no wonder our culinary tastes tend toward "comfort food" categories like cakes, rich creams, starchy foods and "gratins." Baking becomes a more frequent mode of preparing food from roasts to pot pies to hearty soups. One of my favorite dishes for this time of the year is the inimitable onion soup, or as the proper Dauphiné would say: Soupe à l'oignon.

In case you're wondering, the Région dauphinoise, or more properly Le Dauphiné, is that part of lower-central France that lines the western slopes of the Alps. When one thinks of warm fireplace-heated cabins or villas peppering snowy valleys among the majestic Alpine mountains, this is the essence of le Dauphiné. It is no wonder that some of the most delectable winter recipes originate from this area--a region with a long cheese tradition, pastries, baking and gratins (i.e. dishes that are baked and layered with cheese, like Gruyère, Émmenthal or Suisse). Onion soup is so rich, and so aptly-Alpine, that it can easily substitute for an entire meal. The calorie count in a single hearty serving will provide ample energy for a skier spending an entire day on the slopes.

See below for my recipe for prepping a most excellent and savory onion soup. You will need a deep sauce pan and at least four (4) ceramic oven-ready bowls for the final presentation. But first, here are the ingredients (serves four).

Ingredients:

• Olive oil (2 tbsp or 30ml)
• Butter (unsweetened, 1 tbsp or 15ml)
• Nutmeg (1 tsp)
• Bay leaves (2-3, crushed)
• Thyme (3-4 fresh thyme sprigs)
• Peppercorn (ground finely, 5-10 twists of a pepper mill)
• Sea salt or preferably Fleur de sel (1-2 tbsp, or 15-30ml*)
• Onion (yellow, 3 medium or 2 large, sliced not diced)
• Garlic (2-3 cloves, crushed or thinly diced)
• Beef broth (800-1000ml of fresh broth is preferable--chicken broth is good too)
• Cheese - 150g (I prefer Gruyère or Émmenthal, but Suisse and Quebec Comptois will do)
• Bread (half of a French baguette, or 125g into half-inch slices, oven-dried for 10 minutes)
• White wine (125 ml, or a half-cup of Chardonnay, Riesling, Champagne or Gewürztraminer)

* If the broth already contains more than 500mg of sodium per 125 ml, be careful NOT to add too much sea salt (or Fleur de sel) at this point. We want this dish to be hearty, not unhealthy.

Recipe:

At medium-high heat in a deep sauce pan, melt butter and olive oil. Add onions and simmer with bay leaves, nutmeg, sprigs of thyme, pepper and sea salt.

When onions become transparent, add garlic. Let simmer 1-2 minutes then add wine. Reduce by half. Once reduced, lower heat to medium and add (preferably) beef broth or chicken broth. Preheat your oven to broil (450-500F or 260-270C).

Slice eight (8) half-inch or 1-cm thick pieces of bread from your baguette. Place in an aluminum oven-ready pan or skillet and place in the oven until dry or toasted. DO NOT BURN.

Once the soup comes to a boil, turn off stove heat.

Grate the cheese to a rough grain. When the bread is toasted or dry, place two pieces directly into one of four oven-ready ceramic soup bowls. With a ladle or large spoon, pour even amounts of the soup onto the toasted baguette. Cover evenly with a nice layer of grated cheese. When oven is ready, place bowls directly on middle oven rack and broil for five minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.

CAREFUL: VERY HOT!!!

When cheese has browned, remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Be careful to use oven mitts or some other heat-resistant glove to manipulate your soup bowls. After five-minute settling time, serve soup bowls directly to family or friends on a wooden base or ceramic plate. The surface of the soup bowls will likely remain blistering hot for a time still.

Wine pairing: With rich soups like this, it is best to opt for "rounder" white wines and not those that are particularly dry. Sweeter, fruitier and more acidic undertones will go a long way to marry well with the fats and salt of the cheese and broth; the sugars of caramelized onions and the bread will provide a bridge for a sweeter wine's flavor base. I would opt for a "youngish" Riesling or Gewürztraminer although a young Chablis or other Chardonnay varietal will do just fine. Simply avoid dry white wines.

Bon appétit!