French Onion Soup Dumplings Recipe 55

Steps:

• 1. Make the Soup: Melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they are a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes. Raise the heat to medium, add the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, 5 to 9 minutes. Add the beef and chicken broths and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let cool. Line a loaf pan with parchment or foil and pour soup into pan. Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours but preferably over night. NOTE:You can use your own left over soup for this step.
• 2. Make the Croutons: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the bread with olive oil,garlic,thyme,1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Spread croutons on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionaly, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool and then skewer 30 of the best looking croutons with toothpicks (save the rest for another use)
• 3. Make the dumplings: Unmold the soup mixture from the pan. Using a large knife, cut the frozen soup lengthwise into 4 long strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 10 even pieces. (40 all together each about 3/4 inch square) Put one square in the center of a won ton wrapper. Brush edges with egg and wrap being careful to make sure it is covered and sealed completely. Take a second wrapper and repeat by covering the first wrapper. Make a good tight seal. Repeat this step for the rest of the wrappers. Put dumplings on a baking sheet and freeze until ready to fry.
• 4. Take frozen dumplings out of freezer when ready to cook. Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. It should be about 365 degrees for proper frying. You can test it by adding a small drop of water to the pan and when the water starts to "sing and dance" your oil is hot enough. Deep fry the dumplings a few at a time, making sure you dont over crowd them in the pan. Drain on paper toweling.
• 5. Put fried dumplings on an over proof platter or dish. Cover with shredded cheese ( I found that Havarti melts beautiful) Put under broiler (toaster oven is fine) until cheese melts. Place the skewered crouton in the top of each dumpling.
• 6. Serve and watch everyone as they are amazed and ask how you got soup into the dumpling! Tell them it is top secret, and enjoy! :)
• 7. NOTES: The next time I make these, I will use my favorite French Onion Soup recipe. You always seem to have some left over that is more onion and less broth. Perfect for this recipe and would save time. Because these are frozen, you can make a bunch up and have them ready whenever you like. I pictured these with melted Mozzarella cheese. I made more and used Havarti cheese and that melted to perfection. Swiss would also work. The recipe originally calls for Gruyere cheese, but @ $22.00 a pound, I found an alternative! These are not as labor intensive as them seem. Take it in steps and you will have an impressive Horderve on hand for the making!

Steps:

• Melt butter with olive oil in an 8 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.
• Add beef broth, sherry and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven broiler.
• Ladle soup into oven safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each (bread may be broken into pieces if you prefer). Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until softened, 10-13 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Add minced garlic; cook 2 minutes longer., Stir in wine. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth, pepper and salt; return to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet; brush both sides with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Bake until toasted, 3-5 minutes on each side. Rub toasts with halved garlic. , To serve, place twelve 8-oz. broiler-safe bowls or ramekins on baking sheets; place 2 toasts in each. Ladle with soup; top with cheese. Broil 4 in. from heat until cheese is melted.

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan on medium-low heat. Add the onions, sugar, salt, and pepper, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may have to turn your heat down to low if you find them caramelizing too quickly. You want them very soft, but not burnt. You can also use the Alton Brown method: put them in an electric skillet set to 300°F, cover and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes, then start stirring every few minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the cognac. Do not pour the cognac directly into the pan from the bottle if there is a live flame; the flame could travel up the pour-stream and into the bottle, causing it to explode. Measure the cognac in a liquid measuring cup, then move the pan off the heat, pour in the cognac, and return the pan to the stove. Let the cognac reduce for 1 minute. Add the wine, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme. Season again with salt and pepper. Simmer on low for another 30 minutes.
• Set the onions into a strainer over a bowl to cool to room temperature. Reserve both the onions, and the broth that drains from them.
• Preheat the broiler. Spray two individual gratin dishes with non-stick spray, and stand them on a foil-lined baking sheet (to make for easy clean-up).
• Take a wonton wrapper in one hand. Dip a finger or small brush in the reserved broth and moisten the entire surface of one side of the wrapper. Place 1 tsp of the onions in the center of the wrapper. Bring all four corners together, pinching and twisting to form a small pouch (called a beggar's purse). Place dumpling, seam side down, into gratin dish. Continue until both dishes are full.
• Top each dish with half the Gruyère and half the Parmesan. Dot each dish with 1 tbsp of butter. Pop the dishes under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbly and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Poke a toothpick into each dumpling and garnish with chives or thyme sprigs.