NANCY HERNKE'S ONION SOUP

My long-time friend, Nancy Hernke, was a sales representative in Minneapolis for the furniture company where I was once sales manager. On one visit to her territory, I flew into Minneapolis on a Sunday night, dressed casually in Levis, cowboy boots and a flannel shirt. Unfortunately, my luggage went on to Omaha and couldn't be retrieved in time for me to change for my sales calls on Monday morning. So I made presentations in Levis, cowboy boots and a flannel shirt, suggesting to my audiences that they should buy and specify from a company, unlike United  Airlines, on which they could depend. These were some of the most attentive audiences I'd had.

On the Sunday night of my arrival, Nancy planned dinner for a couple of designers and served this wonderful onion soup that relies on chicken broth for its body and has a heavy dose of dry vermouth. The resultant sweetness makes a lighter beginning to a meal than the usual beef broth and cheese variety that usually makes up an onion soup. Like my audiences in Minneapolis, your guests will pay rapt attention to this presentation of onion soup, and at least one of them will ask you for the recipe. Tell her it's from Nancy Hernke! 

NANCY HERNKE'S ONION SOUP

serves 8

1/4 lb butter (yes, a quarter pound)

6 large yellow onions, sliced very thin (use a mandoline if you have one)

2 T sugar

2 T flour

7 C chicken stock, preferably home-made but canned or boxed is okay

1 t Aunt Jane's Crazy Mixed-up salt (if you have it, or if not, use sea salt)

1/8 t coarsely ground black pepper

chunk of butter

2 small onions, sliced

watercress, or finely chopped parsley for garnish

lots of dry vermouth

heavy cream for color and taste

1. Melt the 1/4 pound butter in a large saucepan (or Dutch oven) or heavy skillet (really big) and add the 6 sliced onions. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, without disturbing.

2. Add sugar and flour to the onions in the pan. Stir cook for a few minutes, to cook out the raw flour taste.

3. Stir in the chicken stock, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

4. Meanwhile, stir cook the 2 sliced onions over medium low heat in a chunk of butter, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, Once these are brown and slightly crisp, add them to the soup for color and taste.

5. Add lots of dry vermouth, to taste. (I add about 1/2 cup.) The recipe can be made to this point and held, covered and chilled, until ready to proceed. It can also be frozen for a month or two.

6. When ready to proceed, reheat soup to the boiling point. Add cream to color and taste, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup but do not let the soup with the cream boil, or it will separate.

7. Serve with chopped watercress or parsley and lots of coarsely ground black pepper on top.

Note: see recipe for how to make ahead. Although cream doesn't really like to be frozen, I've often successfully frozen whatever is left of this soup from a dinner party and reheated it for my own use. With crusty bread, a green salad and some white wine, this makes a lovely meal.