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Chef Shannon Bennett from Vue de Monde restaurant recently told The Age "I love this recipe so much. It can be served as a simple lunch, or feature on an extravagant dinner party menu as there are two serving suggestions to this recipe."
And it's the duck fat that makes this soup a stand out version of this french classic.
25ml Luv a Duck duck fat
4 onions, evenly sliced
1 head of garlic, crushed finely
250ml white wine
1 litre duck stock
3 sprigs of thyme
Crouton Topping
6 large slices from a stale baguette
3 tbsp grated gruyere cheese
In a heavy-based pan, over a low heat, melt the duck fat. Add the onions and garlic and allow to caramalise until golden.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the stock and thyme. Cook the liquid until it is reduced by one-third, then remove from the heat.
For the traditional topping, preheat the grill and toast baguette slices until golden on one side. Turn over, sprinkle the grated cheese over the croutons, and grill for 2 minutes or until cheese has melted and started to colour slightly. Serve soup in individual bowls, with a crouton on top.
FOR A PUFF PASTRY VARIATION; prepare soup as above and put in individual serving bowls and leave to chill in the refrigerator.
Cut 12 squares of puff pastry, about 5mm thick and 2cm larger than serving bowls. Put a piece of over each bowl and seal the edges firmly. Brush the pastry top with egg wash (beaten egg), then sprinkle 6 tbsp of grated gruyere cheese evenly over the top.
Cut each remaining square of pastry into strips and spread the strips to form a lattice over the top of the egg-washed pastry, then gently seal the lattice edges over the top of the first layer. Rest pastry-topped bowls in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Transfer bowls to oven and cook for 20 mintues, then turn the heat down to 120 degrees for a further 10 minutes, to ensure the soup is heated through.