Don’t you just love this this time of year? This exact week, to be specific? It’s that time when friends haven’t quite yet scampered off to their respective family locales for the holiday, parties are in full swing, and there’s never a lack of reason to pull your favorite sequined dress out of the closet. Festiveness is at its peak, and everyone’s trying to squeeze in all the holiday cheer they can before it’s over in a flash!
I usually like to host small, casual gatherings this time of year. After all, the last thing we need is to add more stress to our lives during the month of December. An appetizer party is a great way to accomplish this. I love whipping up appetizers that are particularly warm and cozy, like this French Onion Soup Crostini…it holds all the flavor of the beloved soup, but in an easy to eat, party-friendly fashion.
Instead of topping the soup, the crouton becomes the base…the vessel for holding all the yumminess.
The onions are caramelized to a lovely, deep brown, but just a bit of stock is added so that it keeps the consistency nice and thick and spreadable. All that gets topped with a healthy dose of gruyere and emmental…the essential ingredients!
French Onion Soup Crostini
You’ll need:
- 3 onions
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 tablespoon cognac (optional)
- 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
- 1 cup grated emmental cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced thyme
For the crostini:
- 1 baguette
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- kosher salt
To prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Start by slicing the onions. Cut off the top, slice each onion in half length-wise, and remove the skin. With the flat side down, cut the onion into thin slices (you will end up with crescent shaped slices).
- In a large heavy-bottom pan, warm the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and salt. Stir, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and stir the sugar into the onions. Raise the heat to medium, and continue cooking the onions for about 40 minutes, until they take on a deep brown color.
- While the onions are cooking, prepare the crostini. Cut the entire baguette into 1/4 inch slices on the diagonal. Brush the top of each crostini with olive oil, lightly sprinkle with salt, and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.
- Once the onions are fully caramelized, raise the heat to medium-high level, and add the white wine. Cook until fully reduced, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the flour, stirring thoroughly, and cook for about 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Then add the beef stock and cognac, and continue cooking another 5 minutes or so until the liquid is mostly reduced. Pluck out the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- To prepare the crostini, pre-heat the oven to broil. Toss together the gruyere and emmental cheeses. Spread a heaping teaspoon of the onion mixture onto each crostini, sprinkle with the cheese, and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle on the fresh thyme, and serve while hot.
Makes approximately 25.
You can prepare all of the elements in advance, and simply assemble and heat when you’re ready to party! Any French Onion Soup lovers out there will be immediate fans…maybe you can even leave some out for Santa?
Melissa is the blogger behind Serving Seconds, a food blog dedicated to the yummy and the beautiful. When she’s not in the kitchen, you can find her wandering the aisles of the craft store, instagramming at the dinner table, or exploring every foodie nook she can find in her beloved city of San Francisco. She’s got a penchant for anything mini, modernized comfort food, and stellar hospitality. In her “Setting the Table” series, Melissa will share unique and creative ways to add a little fun to your table and make your guests feel extra special. From a weeknight dinner to a girls’ night in, there’s always a reason for theme parties, signature cocktails, and gathering with friends.
Blog: www.ServingSeconds.com
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