What Do You Do with Left Over Champagne?

Imagine, if you can, that you have one cup of leftover champagne. Perhaps it’s even a little flat. Do Not Throw Out Leftover Champagne. However flat — the flavor is still there and will provide one last smile in this simple soup recipe.

View at Picasa 03-Jan-2011 18:22, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 400

True story, as we entered the New Year, I had a smidgen of bubbly remaining and was determined to create a delicious dish. After searching for recipes (vinaigrettes, sauces, chicken dishes and more) I stumbled upon a wonderful “Champagne Primer” post by Michelle M. Winner on CulinaryTravler.com that recounts her solution to this age-old question of what to do with leftover champagne. Cheers and thanks to Michelle for discovering this culinary gem of a recipe.

Soup A L’Oignon

Easy

Serves 6

Approximate time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:
2 ounces butter
6 onions, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoonful French mustard
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoonful flour
1/2 pint flat champagne
1 1/2 pints stock or water (use half beef and half chicken stock for best soup)
6 slices French bread
2 ounces Parmesan or Emmentaler cheese

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in a casserole or heavy bottomed soup or stockpot over medium/low heat.
2. Add the finely sliced the onions and sauté until the onions are transparent (about 20 minutes) stirring frequently. Add salt, pepper, and mustard. Brown very slowly for an additional 10 minutes; cover the pan with a lid, stirring every 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Stir in the flour, mix until smooth. Add the wine, stock, or water. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat; simmer for 25 minutes.
4. Place a few thin slices of thin slices of French bread and thin slices of cheese in the bottom of the individual serving bowls. Reserve some cheese.
5. Taste the soup and added additional salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle soup into prepared bowls.  Sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese, and glaze under the grill.

Mama Says Notes: Michelle Winner suggests pouring the soup into small oven-proof Pyrex bowls and topping with a large, single slice of toasted bread and a sprinkle of cheese. Then broiling until bubbly.

I used chicken broth and champagne for the liquid and toasted day-old wheat bread to create croutons and eliminated the cheese. Rave reviews from the family.

Inspiration: CulinaryTraveler.com

Recipe adapted from: Au Petit Cordon Bleu (1953) by Dione Lucas and Rosemary Hume, JM. Dent and Sons, London.

Classic French Onion Soup Recipe

French onion soup. View at Picasa French onion soup.30-Nov-2009 08:17, 3.2, 5.9mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 320

My final Thanksgiving leftover was several sprigs of fresh thyme. I became a woman on mission to find a use for these flavorful herbs. In searching through my favorite recipe binder I found this one for French onion soup. Do you remember earthenware bowls of French onion soup served in restaurants topped with beautifully melted cheese and gooey bits dripping down the sides of the bowl? While those gooey cheesey days are behind me, a steaming bowl of onion soup with some bread and grated cheese would be a perfect accompaniment to a fall dinner (and a wonderful lunch the next day). My challenge was two-fold: use the remaining thyme and make my first post-Thanksgiving meal that wasn’t super-sized to feed a crowd.

Empty-Nester French Onion Soup

4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet onions, halved and thinly cut lengthwise (approx. 3 medium onions)
• 3 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup water
• 2 1/2-inch-thick slice of challah or ciabatta bread cut in half
• 1 cup grated Swiss Gruyère cheese

Sauteing onions and thyme. View at Picasa Sauteing onions and thyme.30-Nov-2009 07:24, 9.0, 5.9mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 80

Preparation

1. In a heavy 5-quart pot melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until the onions for 25 to 30 minutes until the onions are very soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium, and let the wine simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the beef stock and water, and let the soup simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toast the bread until golden.
4. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the soup and discard. Pour the soup into two ovenproof bowls, top soup with the toasted bread and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Source/Inspiration: Epicurious | February 2009

Did You Know: The ancient Greeks used thyme in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage.

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