The best onion soup in Paris?

[Cheeselady]

Where is the best onion soup in Paris?

[Stone]

(Can I jump in and ask a question about onion soup? I've got a friend from a small town near Lyon. One New Years Eve he made us all onion soup. He claimed that it was traditional in France to return home after a night of revelry and eat onion soup before going to bed. Well, we returned home that night to the worst onion soup I've ever had. It was little more than sliced onions, boiled in water with a little butter and salt. Very odd, considering that he's a pretty good cook otherwise. He claimed that this was authentic. ????)

[Louisa Chu]

I only really like my own French onion soup. I find the American version - what you find in the States or what you find in French restaurants that cater to tourists - too salty and too cheesy. And the French version too weak. Water's not authentic - but then again French chefs believe beef bouillon cubes are acceptable.

Here's the basic recipe from Cordon Bleu. I'd strongly suggest using your best veal stock.

SOUPE A L'OIGNON GRATINEE

FRENCH ONION SOUP

serves 4

400 g onions, thinly sliced

80 g butter

10 g flour

150 ml white wine

1.5 liter beef bouillon (broth)

or consomme or chicken stock

salt, pepper

Garnish

20 slices baguette - day-old, thinly sliced

150 g gruyere, grated

Finish

50 ml Madeira or Port (optional)

Melt butter, add onions, sear well then caramelize well. Sift flour over, mix well. Deglaze with wine, add Madeira or Port. Add stock. Salt and pepper well. Cook low to taste. Dry baguette in low oven as needed. Ladle soup to ovenproof bowls - clean as needed - place croutons over, cover with cheese, bake to golden. Carefully serve immediately.

[Gary Marshall]

au pied du cochon, 6 rue coquilliere, nr les halles is famed for its onion soup, it is very good but it's the only one i've had in paris so others may know of better.

the recipe is in patricia well's bistro cookbook, it is chicken stock based which makes it quite light but i'm afan of the heavier versions in the UK.

gary

[fresh_a]

The onion soup in Pied de Cochon is one of the best...also at Sebillon, near the Champs Elysees isn't that bad...funny how onion soup is considered a really French classic to all foreigners, but it's very difficult to find a good one all over Paris.

Concerning the New Year's Eve festivities, it is very much a tradition to have onion soup as a last item being sleeping or going home...

[Jaymes]

The onion soup in Pied de Cochon is one of the best...also at Sebillon, near the Champs Elysees isn't that bad...funny how onion soup is considered a really French classic to all foreigners, but it's very difficult to find a good one all over Paris.

I wonder (certainly don't know - am just speculating) if it is similar to the reason why one has a such difficult time finding good chili in restaurants in Texas.

None of us locals order it at restaurants. We all think ours is better. We all make it at home. Often.

I've heard many furners and other tourists marvel at how you can't get good chili in restaurants here. They are truly mystified. They determine that "the reason why" must be that good Texas chili is a myth.

Edited March 19, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[Cheeselady]

I tried au pied de cochon and it was not as great as I would have imagined it to be. Any more suggestions?

Thanks for everyone's help!

["T"]

I always thought onion soup was to be made with only beef stock?

I didn't have any great onion soup in Paris, well, not better than what I can make anyways :), but in Amsterdam there was this smoke filled cafe(tobacco not bud) that made THE best BLT I have ever had plus one kicking onion soup.

Go figure.

[Anna N]

Curiously, Madeleine Kamman, in "The New Making of a Cook", states that the original soup, ascribed to King Louis XV was indeed made of nothing but onions and flat champagne! Thereafter, she says, the poor replaced champagne with water.

Personally I use Julia Child's recipe with lots of beef stock, wine or vermouth, and slowly caramelized onions.

Anna N

[BigboyDan]

I vote Au Pied de Cochon. Of course, some nights are better than others.

Aux Halles

6 rue Coquilliere

75001 Paris

ph. 01 44 13 77 00

The simplest soups need the freshest and best ingredients. Learn to make stocks, your life will be better for it.

Proportion up/down quantity as needed; the more beef to veal stock ratio, the stronger the meaty flavor:

2 onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups beef stock

2 cups veal stock

Sliced French bread

Sliced Gruyere cheese

- Peel and then slice onions into thin rings. WASH THEM IN WATER. Dry onion slices with paper towels.

- In a heavy sauce pan over low/moderate heat saute onions in butter until soft and browned, 30 minutes.

- Add flour, stir, and then gradually add both stocks while stirring. Return to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

- Add salt and white pepper to taste (take into account the saltiness of the cheese and bread).

- Toast French bread slices.

- Place toasted slice of bread into soup bowl. Pour soup over bread, then bring bread slice to top of soup (bread needs to be completely soaked with soup).

- Put cheese slice on top of the slice of bread and put under broiler until cheese melts; or, bake in hot oven for 5 minutes.

- Eat. Careful, hot soup can be a tongue-burner.

[badthings]

au pied du cochon, 6 rue coquilliere, nr les halles is famed for its onion soup, it is very good but it's the only one i've had in paris so others may know of better.

the recipe is in patricia well's bistro cookbook, it is chicken stock based which makes it quite light but i'm afan of the heavier versions in the UK.

gary

I had a chicken-based version at Bocuse's Nord in Lyon last year.

Not nearly as heavy as Julia's version which is what I make, more or less, but the aftereffects were comparably benign.