Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1067657
122 I N G R E D I E N T S 1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) Sweet butter 4 medium Sweet onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced 1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon 32 ounces (4 cups) Chicken stock 32 ounces (4 cups) Veal stock ⊲ Cheesecloth for seasonings 8 whole Black peppercorns 2 Bay leaves 1 sprig Rosemary 1 sprig Thyme 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar 6 Baguette slices, toasted 6 Thick slices Gruyère cheese D I R E C T I O N S 1. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté over medium- low heat until golden, 15-20 minutes. 2. Add the red wine to the onions and cook until the wine has reduced by half. 3. Stir in the chicken and veal stock. 4. Lay out a square of double-layered cheesecloth and fill the center with the peppercorns, bay leaves, and rosemary and thyme sprigs. Tie the pouch shut with kitchen twine and add it to the pot, along with the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. Simmer the soup 40 minutes. 5. Place a broiler rack on the highest rung and preheat the broiler. 6. Remove the seasoning pouch from the pot and ladle the soup into six ovenproof crocks. Place the crocks on a baking sheet. 7. Top each crock with a toasted baguette slice topped with a slice of Gruyère. Place the soups under the broiler and cook until the cheese is bubbling and brown. In the mid-19th century Danvers was called Oniontown, due to the abundance of onions this former agrarian suburb grew. us, it's only fitting that Matt Sanidas, chef-owner of Nine Elm, is paying homage to the town's his- tory with his luscious golden cheese-topped onion soup. "People just love French onion soup," says Sanidas, who regularly features it on his American bistro-style menu, "but I've noticed that there are two types of people who eat it. One group just wants the onions and broth, and the other just wants the gooey Gruyère on Nine Elm's French Onion Soup (SERVES 6) toast." How does Sanidas know this? He sees what people leave in their bowls when the crocks return to the kitchen. Regardless of which camp you fall into, Sanidas's onion soup abounds with sweet on- ions in a rich base of chicken stock, veal stock, and red wine. It's then topped with a toasted baguette slice smothered with Gruyere and broiled until bubbly and brown. "I would say we now serve about 80 bowls a week," says Sanidas, who last year expanded his restau- rant from only 8 tables to 20, thanks to the vacant space next door. 9elm.com Nine Elm's chef-owner Matt Sanidas pays homage to Oniontown—a nickname for Danvers over a century ago.