Wednesday, February 27, 2013

French Onion Fench Bread Pizzas

1 stick butter
1 tsp. dried thyme
6 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (we used 3 lb bag)
2 fresh bay leaves (we used dried)
Salt/pepper
1/3 C. dry sherry
2 cans (10.5 ounces each) beef consomme
1 large loaf French bread, split horizontally and halved crosswise (we created 8 instead of 4 pieces)
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
12 ounces ripe Camembert cheese, sliced (we used Brie)

In a large high-sided skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the thyme, onions, and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.  Cook low and slow (on medium heat, stirring occasionally) until deep caramel in color and very sweet (35-40 minutes, but ours went for about an hour).  Deglaze with the sherry, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.  Sir in the consomme and cook down for 5 minutes (or longer - until not a thin liquid but a well developed sauce).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toast the bread in the oven on a cookie sheet.  Remove the bay leaves from onion mixture and top the bread with the onion mixture and cheeses.  (We layered the onion mixture and made sure to allow the liquid to sop into the toasted french bread for greater flavor and then layered the sliced Brie and topped it with the shredded Gruyere).  Return pizzas to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

We also used the "leftover" onions & consomme as an au jus to dip our pizzas in for even more french onion flavor.


*Original recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray My Year in Meals, 2012, p.118.

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