DC’s Drunkard’s Onion Soup

Grafton Street, Dublin

Dublin’s Grafton Street was once the home of two funky upstairs restaurants. One still remains, Captain America’s Cookhouse is famous for its excellent collection of pop memorabilia, and for the fact that Chris de Burgh started off by playing the guitar there - a fact which produces mixed emotions! It also acted as a catering catalyst as for a time everybody in catering in Dublin seemed to have worked / met at Captain A’s. However my own favourite (and with better food) was the Thunderbird Food Company run by the O’Donoghue and Fahy families and unfortunately closed many years ago. They were kind to me on many occasions in my younger years (no more so than insisting on feeding me and my companion for free when my car was stolen and wrecked!) and I got to know most of their recipes. Their variation on classic French soup was a crock served with a crust of melted Irish Cheddar.




Captain America's Cookhouse

Now there is nothing wrong with the classic French Onion soup but variety is the spice of life and this variation is packed with onion flavour and is delicious for those occasions when soul food is needed to raise the spirits. The ingredients in the Drunkard’s Onion soup recipe below will make enough for four good portions and is a main course which will fill you all on its own.

The ingredients are;

4 medium sized onions
1 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
4½ cups of beef stock (easiest to add 3 OXO beef cubes to boiling water) - 700 millilitres
Cup of Dry Cider or Dry Vermouth
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, double if you like this sauce
Teaspoon of Demerara sugar
1/4 teaspoon of grated garlic or 1 fresh garlic clove chopped up small
French bread or sliced white bread
Irish Cheddar or Red Leicester cheese to top the bread
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Salt to taste (not much needed and don’t add if you use stock cubes)

Technique

Start by peeling the four onions and chopping it into small bits. This is the most laborious part of this recipe - it takes 5 minutes or so to chop up four onions and the tears will flow! However if you keep a cold tap running and occasionaly rinse the knife under the running water it helps. Put the onions into a deep saucepan; add the garlic, butter and olive oil and turn up to a medium heat. Turn the onions every minute or so to ensure they are evenly cooked. Aim to cook the onions until they are a light brown colour, this normally takes 6 minutes. Then reduce the heat to its lowest setting, add the Worcestershire sauce and allow them to stew for a further 10 minutes.


The Magic Mixture

Now increase the heat to medium and add the Demerara sugar, stir and allow to caramelise. After a couple of minutes add the Cider or Vermouth and allow the mixture to reduce and thicken for a further two minutes. Then add the beef stock, season with the pepper, and then stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the base of the pan well. As soon as it all comes up to simmering point, turn down the heat to its lowest setting, then go away and leave it to cook very gently, without a lid, for about 30 minutes.


DC's Drunkard's Onion Soup

When the soup mix is ready (and there is no problem with reheating it or indeed freezing it for another time - indeed you can "Supersize" the ingredients and freeze a batch) spoon the hot mixture into individual tureens or pottery crocks and cover the surface with the lightly toasted French or sliced bread. Cover generously in the grated cheese and put under the grill for 8 / 10 minutes making sure you don’t let it burn. Serve immediately (and don't forget to warn your guests that everything is very hot!) as a substantial main course to bring comfort to the body and soul best accompanied by cider or beer!


Bon Appétit!