REVERSE FRENCH ONION SOUP

REVERSE FRENCH ONION SOUP: GRUYERE BISQUE, CARAMELIZED ONION TARTLET, FRIZZLED LEEKS AND CHIVE OIL
DIFFICULTY RATING: 6 OUT OF 10 (PICTURED ON PAGE 85)

This dish takes the concept of classic French onion soup and approaches it with a "backward" methodology, preparing and plating the dish in an unexpected way and playing up an individual ingredient. In this case, the onion is celebrated through all of the various textures, aromas and flavors.

1/2 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup lard
3 tablespoons ice water (or more if needed)
1 large red onion, finely julienned
1/4 cup butter
1 large Vidalia onion, finely julienned
1 cup pearl onions
3 leeks, finely julienned
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups red wine
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
1/2 cup crumbled chevre (goat cheese) Kosher salt, to taste
1 medium-size onion, small dice
1 stalk celery, small dice
1/3 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
2 cups heavy cream Kosher salt, to taste White pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
4 cups canola oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh minced chives, to garnish

CHIVE OIL
1. In a standard blender (or with a stick or immersion blender), pulse the chives and oil together and season with salt. Refrigerate at least 12 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
2. Strain the oil before using, if desired.*

TARTLET PIE DOUGH
1. Blend the flour, sugar, salt and black pepper in a food processor.
2. Be sure that the temperatures of the butter and lard are similar. Add them to the food processor. Cut in the fat using the on/off pulse until a coarse meal forms.
3. Add 3 tablespoons ice water. Continue to pulse and blend just until moist clumps form. (Add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is dry and repeat with the on/off pulse.)
4. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk about 1-inch thick. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.t

TARTLET FILLING
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Caramelize the red onion in a wide saute pan over medium heat, cooking the onion in enough butter, as needed, until the slices are dark brown (about 30 minutes). (It's important to use small batches of onion to maintain your product-to-hot-surface ratio.) Repeat the process for each type of onion (Vidalia, pearl onions and leeks), keeping them separate once finished.
3. Reserve a small amount of each type of onion and place the remaining onions (all 4 types) into a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red wine, sugar and 1/2 of the fresh thyme. Allow the mixture to reduce over low heat until a jam-like consistency is achieved (about 45 minutes).
4. Roll out the prepared Tartlet Pie Dough and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Lightly prick the bottom with a fork. Line the tart shell with foil and fill it with pie weights. Blind bake the shell. To do so, bake it in the middle of the 375-degree oven until the crust is pale golden around the rim (about 15 minutes). Carefully remove the weights and foil and finish baking until golden. Remove from the oven and allow the shell to cool in the pan. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
5. Generously spread the onion jam over the prebaked tart shell. Garnish with reserved caramelized onions of each type, crumbled chevre and the remaining minced thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and place the tart on a baking sheet. Warm in the 300-degree oven for 15 minutes.

GRUYERE BISQUE
1. In a stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Sweat the onion and celery for 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook the mixture until the flour is light brown and has a nutty smell.
2. Stir in the chicken stock and then the milk and whip until smooth. Turn down the heat to low and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once it begins to thicken, add the Gruyere cheese. Continue to simmer and work the bisque with a whip to achieve a smooth consistency. A stick or immersion blender can be a handy tool for these types of soups. Otherwise, puree in a blender or food processor.
3. Finish with heavy cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. (The consistency can be adjusted with stock or milk, as needed.) Keep warm until service.

FRIZZLED LEEKS
1. In a tall saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook until they're crisp. Strain them and lightly season with salt, to taste. (Frying at a moderate temperature will ensure the correct color and texture of the finished product.)

TO PLATE
Ladle 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of the Gruyere Bisque into each of 8 appropriate vessels sitting on base plates large enough to accommodate the tartlet. Top the soup with minced chives. Cut the warm Caramelized Onion Tartlet into 8 servings and place onto each plate next to the soup. Drizzle with Chive Oil and garnish the tartlet with a ball of Frizzled Leeks.
Serves 8
*As a general rule, always refrigerate infused oils. t The dough can be made several days ahead. Be sure to soften it to room temperature before rolling it out.

REVERSE FRENCH ONION SOUP: GRUYERE BISQUE, CARAMELIZED ONION TARTLET, FRIZZLED LEEKS AND CHIVE OIL
DIFFICULTY RATING: 6 OUT OF 10 (PICTURED ON PAGE 85)
This dish takes the concept of classic French onion soup and approaches it with a "backward" methodology, preparing and plating the dish in an unexpected way and playing up an individual ingredient. In this case, the onion is celebrated through all of the various textures, aromas and flavors.
CHIVE OIL
1/2 cup chopped chives 1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1. In a standard blender (or with a stick or immersion blender), pulse the chives and oil together and season with salt. Refrigerate at least 12 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
2. Strain the oil before using, if desired.*
TARTLET PIE DOUGH
11/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup lard
3 tablespoons ice water (or more if needed)
1. Blend the flour, sugar, salt and black pepper in a food processor.
2. Be sure that the temperatures of the butter and lard are similar. Add them to the food processor. Cut in the fat using the on/off pulse until a coarse meal forms.
3. Add 3 tablespoons ice water. Continue to pulse and blend just until moist clumps form. (Add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is dry and repeat with the on/off pulse.)
4. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk about 1-inch thick. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.t
TARTLET FILLING
1 large red onion, finely julienned 1/4 cup butter
1 large Vidalia onion, finely julienned
1 cup pearl onions
2 leeks, finely julienned
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups red wine
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
1/2 cup crumbled chevre (goat cheese) Kosher salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Caramelize the red onion in a wide saute pan over medium heat, cooking the onion in enough butter, as needed, until the slices are dark brown (about 30 minutes). (It's important to use small batches of onion to maintain your product-to-hot-surface ratio.) Repeat the process for each type of onion (Vidalia, pearl onions and leeks), keeping them separate once finished.
3. Reserve a small amount of each type of onion and place the remaining onions (all 4 types) into a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red wine, sugar and 1/2 of the fresh thyme. Allow the mixture to reduce over low heat until a jam-like consistency is achieved (about 45 minutes).
4. Roll out the prepared Tartlet Pie Dough and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Lightly prick the bottom with a fork. Line the tart shell with foil and fill it with pie weights. Blind bake the shell. To do so, bake it in the middle of the 375-degree oven until the crust is pale golden around the rim (about 15 minutes). Carefully remove the weights and foil and finish baking until golden. Remove from the oven and allow the shell to cool in the pan. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
5. Generously spread the onion jam over the prebaked tart shell. Garnish with reserved caramelized onions of each type, crumbled chevre and the remaining minced thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and place the tart on a baking sheet. Warm in the 300-degree oven for 15 minutes.
GRUYERE BISQUE 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 medium-size onion, small dice
1 stalk celery, small dice 1/3 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
2 cups heavy cream Kosher salt, to taste White pepper, to taste
1. In a stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Sweat the onion and celery for 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook the mixture until the flour is light brown and has a nutty smell.
2. Stir in the chicken stock and then the milk and whip until smooth. Turn down the heat to low and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once it begins to thicken, add the Gruyere cheese. Continue to simmer and work the bisque with a whip to achieve a smooth consistency. A stick or immersion blender can be a handy tool for these types of soups. Otherwise, puree in a blender or food processor.
3. Finish with heavy cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. (The consistency can be adjusted with stock or milk, as needed.) Keep warm until service.
FRIZZLED LEEKS
4 cups canola oil
1 leek, very finely julienned Kosher salt, to taste
1. In a tall saucepan, heat the canola oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook until they're crisp. Strain them and lightly season with salt, to taste. (Frying at a moderate temperature will ensure the correct color and texture of the finished product.)
TO PLATE
Fresh minced chives, to garnish
Ladle 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of the Gruyere Bisque into each of 8 appropriate vessels sitting on base plates large enough to accommodate the tartlet. Top the soup with minced chives. Cut the warm Caramelized Onion Tartlet into 8 servings and place onto each plate next to the soup. Drizzle with Chive Oil and garnish the tartlet with a ball of Frizzled Leeks.
Serves 8
*As a general rule, always refrigerate infused oils. t The dough can be made several days ahead. Be sure to soften it to room temperature before rolling it out.