While the “holiday” season might be over, the entertaining season is not. Is it ever, really? What with the Super Bowl and The Academy Awards coming up (2/7 and 2/28, respectively), we figured we would need a party dip that would satisfy the high-fiving, beer-drinking crowd and keep the champagne-drinking, cinema-loving crowd equally happy. Tall order? Yes. Impossible? Nope. Enter the French Onion Toasts from Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. (Yes, again. We love her and so should you.)
The original recipe transforms the traditional and beloved classic French soup into a cocktail party finger food. We have reimagined it as a fancy party dip in the interest of “entertaining efficiency” (i.e. laziness). Essentially, you start by making a pan of actual French Onion Soup—caramelized onions, fresh herbs/bay leaf, stock, etc.–but instead of stopping there, you cook the mixture down until almost all of the liquid is gone.
We used vegetable stock in this recipe, so the finished product is actually vegetarian, but the more traditional beef stock would obviously work just as well.
For the original “toasts” version, you would spoon a bit of the reduction onto individual crostini or toast points (gluten free, if needed), top them with shredded gruyere, then pop them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes until golden and bubbly. They are “pinkies up” fantastic.
For the dip version, pour the reduction into a gratin or baking dish, top with the shredded cheese and broil the whole thing. The dip version boasts two very important advantages. First, it is waaaay easier (a.k.a. faster). Second, it can be made a day or so in advance—just shy of broiling the cheese—and refrigerated, so party day is instantly made simpler. Love, love, love. Just let it sit out and come to room temperature, then pop it under the broiler until it’s ready. (Touchdown!) If you have one on hand, you could also use a hand held kitchen torch to melt and brown the cheese. No oven necessary. (Extra Point!)
Serve the dip with gluten free baguette slices, crackers or chips (Scoops!) and it’s a party that everyone can enjoy, regardless of any food allergies. That’s more wins than the Big Game and the Oscars combined. Now go clear some space on the shelf for those trophies!
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds (about 4-5 medium) yellow onions, cut into dice of about ⅓ inch
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- Pinch of sugar
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ cups stock (we used vegetable to keep the dish vegetarian, but the more traditional beef stock is great here too)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
- To serve, slice baguettes or crackers.
- Melt together the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, and thyme to the pan, toss them with the butter and oil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook the onions for 15 minutes, then remove the lid, stir in the salt and sugar, and saute without the lid for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are fully caramelized and have taken on a deep-golden color.
- Pour in the vinegar and the stock, then turn the heat all the way up and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Simmer the mixture until the broth almost completely disappears, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme. Adjust the salt, if needed, and season with freshly ground black pepper.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Scrape the onion mixture into a small gratin dish and top with grated cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, use a kitchen torch to melt and brulee the cheese on top. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.
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