French Onion Soup v. French Onion Soup: The Evolution of a Recipe

Americans love celebrities–an obsession that extends into all realms aesthetic, including the art of cooking.  As our access to mass media has increased over the past few decades and as we have become more and more detached from the process of food preparation, we have come to rely on cooking advice not from our mothers, but rather from celebrity chefs.  In looking at the language of recipes, I decided to compare one of the recipes of the 21st-century television personality Rachael Ray, to a recipe of her fifties’ counterpart, Julia Child. 

For a recipe to compare, I settled on French onion soup, since this is one of Julia Child’s most famous recipes.  A little history note from Wikipedia: onion soup has been considered a staple among the poor, dating back even to Roman times, since onions are so easy to grow.  The French  version originated during the 18th century and is made from beef broth and caramelized onions–ingredients common to both Ray’s and Child’s recipes.  

Since I have taken both Rachael Ray’s and Julia Child’s recipes from the Food Network website, they are similar in format, listing difficulty level (“easy”), number of people served, ingredients, and instructions.  Both recipes use ample descriptors that appeal to the senses: when describing how to caramelize the onions, Child says to cook them “slowly, until tender and brown,” and Ray instructs the reader to stir them until they are “sweet and caramel colored.”  However, you can still hear the stylistic difference in the recipes: Child’s is conversational, allowing the reader to make certain judgments (“let cool for a moment,” “add a little water if the liquid reduces too much,” “taste for seasoning”).  Rachael Ray’s instructions are more explicit, telling the reader where to stand in the kitchen (“next to the pot”) yet also less involved: Ray’s recipe can be completed in 35 minutes, while Child’s soup takes up to two hours (although, according to online reviews, it is well worth the effort).  This difference in instructional style is perhaps reflective of a greater trend in recipe writing; as people have come to rely less on family and cultural tradition in their cooking, they expect concise instructions that allow for little guesswork.  

The recipes’ titles differ in tone as well; Child calls hers simply “French Onion Soup,” while Ray calls hers “Oh So Good French Onion Soup,” presumably to make her soup stand out among the myriad recipes now available on line.  As for ingredients, the recipes are quite similar, aside from the addition of sugar, Cognac, and flour to Child’s version.  

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Despite the fifty-year gap between the writing of these two recipes, they are quite similar–which, given that they both belong to the same tradition of food preparation (that is, the American cooking show), makes sense.  Now, to be truly American in our approach, we need to try out both recipes and perform a taste-test.  Either way, the outcome will be crusty, bubbly, and delicious.  

French Onion Soup

by Julia Child

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock
• 1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
• 3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere

Directions

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning

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Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

Oh So Good French Onion Soup

by Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 medium onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, picked and chopped or poultry seasoning
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 6 cups beef stock
• 4 thick slices crusty bread, toasted
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Directions

Heat a deep pot over medium to medium high heat. Work next to the stove to slice onions. Add oil and butter to the pot. Add onions to the pot as you slice them. When all the onions are in the pot, season with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Cook onions 15 to 18 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, sweet and caramel colored. Add bay leaf and sherry to the pot and deglaze the pan drippings. Add 6 cups stock and cover pot to bring soup up to a quick boil.

Arrange 4 small, deep soup bowls or crocks on a cookie sheet. Preheat broiler to high. Once soup reaches a boil, ladle it into bowls. Float toasted crusty bread on soup and cover each bowl with a mound of cheese. Sprinkle remaining fresh thyme on cheese and place cookie sheet with soup bowls on it under hot broiler until cheese melts and bubbles.