French Onion Soup on CB

[Greg and Mary]

I posted this on the Cruise Foodies board with no luck. I thought I would try posting among Princess Loyals!

 

I just got back from 7/9 sailing on Caribbean Princess. The French Onion soup was probably the best I have ever had. Does anyone have the recipe?

 

Maybe someone bought the Princess cookbook. I'm not sure if it is included in the book or not.

 

Thanks.

 

Mary

[Kruznut]

Sorry I can't help by supplying the recipe, but I've had the French Onion Soup on other Princess ships and it was the best I've had too. Hope you can find the recipe !

[ChattTenn]

I posted this on the Cruise Foodies board with no luck. I thought I would try posting among Princess Loyals!

 

I just got back from 7/9 sailing on Caribbean Princess. The French Onion soup was probably the best I have ever had. Does anyone have the recipe?

 

Maybe someone bought the Princess cookbook. I'm not sure if it is included in the book or not.

 

Thanks.

 

Mary

 

Hello,

 

We will be on Caribbean Princess in October, 2005 and just wonder if there is a French Night (?).

 

The French Onion Soup on Princess is the best. I had with other lines but not many come close to Princess.

[Grumm]

Sorry. Don't have Princess recipe, but a sure-fire way of making the aforementioned soup is to caramelise three large onions in butter then season with salt, pepper and just a TOUCH of curry powder and sugar. Then add about a pint and a half of good beef stock and simmer for about half an hour (some gravy browning will give it a rich, brown colour). Prior to serving, make some French loaf croutons and float in heat-proof serving bowls before covering with grated Gruyere or Mozzarella and placing under a hot grill until cheese is melted. Serve immediately and make sure you have a bib on!

 

Good luck!

 

PS for added authenticity lighly rub the croutons with a clove of garlic before grilling or frying

[spongerob]

Darn it, Alan, now I'm all hungry!

 

The Princess recipe is in their cookbook. The secret is in the stock.

[Pam in CA]

Grumm... sounds delicious.

 

I agree that the French Onion Soup on Princess is excellent. While on the Royal Princess this Spring, we went to the Sterling Steakhouse and if possible, it was even better there, served in a bread "bowl." It's a meal by itself.

[argosy]

Ziggy7 posted this on the Recipes Forum on this board, back in April. It is not the Princess Recipe, but it's excellent...and there are some ingredients used in the stock that you wouldn't normally think of. Here it is. I hope I'm not breaking some rule by copying and pasting it out of that thread. I have not made it yet, but it's printed out. I am going to try it when the weather's not so hot!

 

4 to 6 servings

 

3 tablespoons butter

3 large onions, thinly sliced

3 cans (14 ounces each) ready-to-use beef broth

1 cup apple cider

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup dry red wine

4 to 6 one-inch-thick slices French bread, toasted

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

 

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 25 minutes, or until golden, stirring occasionally.

 

Add the beef broth, apple cider, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the Parmesan cheese and wine, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through.

 

Preheat the broiler. Place the bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with equal amounts of the Swiss cheese. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

 

Pour the soup into bowls and top each with a slice of toasted cheese bread; serve.

[cruzinchris]

Soupe A L'Oignion Gratinee from Courses: A Culinary Journey

 

Serves 6

 

3 tbsp. butter

4 cups onion, sliced

6 cups beef stock (chicken stock or water can also be used)

1 cup demi-glace (can be replaced with more beef stock)

1 bay leaf

6 black peppercorns

2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 cup dry sherry

salt and pepper

 

6 slices bread, trimmed and toasted

1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded

parsley, chopped

 

Melt the butter in a heavy stock pot and saute the onions slowly until well caramelized to a rich brown. Add the remaining ingredients for the sou except the sherry. Cook together for at least 30 minutes until the flavors are well developed. Adjust the seasoning and add the sherry.

 

Preheat oven to 400*. Pour the soup into oven-proof soup cups. Top each cup with a slice of the toasted bread and then the shredded cheese. Place the soup cups on a baking tray and bake until the cheese has melted and browned slightly. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

 

The beef stock and demi-glace recipes are also in the Princess cookbook, but they are quite long to type right now. I use Kitchen Basics stock and Williams-Sonoma demi-glace.

 

Bon Appetit and Bon Voyage.

Chris

[Coolmama_1]

The recipe is on page 92 of the cookbook. I may try it..... when it cools down a bit. Some how soup doesn't thrill me when it is 96degrees in the shade!

[starfamily]

I worked at a french restaurant in college, their secret to the FO soup was basically the same with carmalizing the onions, fresh baggette slices for the croutons but on the bottom of the crock they put some fresh mozzerella cheese, added broth and onions, topped with two croutons and then laid a slice of swice on top of that, broiled until bubbly, the combination of the two gooey cheeses is to die for!

[SuzyQ75]

Yummy! I agree, it was the best French Onion I've had. I was actually thinking about how I can't wait to make it this fall.:p

[waterbug1]

Greg and Mary - You are right, it is wonderful! I suspect the reason their beef stock is so rich is because they pour the pan juices from the roasted meats (prime rib) into the pot - hence the incredible richness of the stock.

[argosy]

Looks like to me after looking at the recipe...the 'secret' in the Princess recipe is the demi-glace, which is basically beef broth simmered and reduced by half, with Madeira wine added after it's cooled.

 

Of course, since the recipe for their stock isn't included in this thread, that may have some more variations in it as well. But I'm too lazy to make my own.

[cruzinchris]

Looks like to me after looking at the recipe...the 'secret' in the Princess recipe is the demi-glace, which is basically beef broth simmered and reduced by half, with Madeira wine added after it's cooled.

 

 

Argosy and anyone else,

I'll list the ingredients for the Princess demi-glace, beef stock, and mirepoix, but the instructions are lengthy. Actually, all are basically very long, slow cooking processes rendering rich and hearty flavors.

 

Demi-Glace

 

Makes one gallon.

 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

8 pounds beef bones

2 cups mirepoix (below)

6 cloves garlic

1 1/4 cups tomato paste

1/2 cup flour

2 cups red wine

12 black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1 bunch fresh thyme

2 gallons beef stock

 

 

Beef Stock

 

Makes 1 gallon.

 

5 pounds beef bones

3 1/2 cups mirepoix

6 cloves garlic

1 1/4 tomato paste

2 cups red wine

10 black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1 clove

1 bunch fresh thyme

2 gallons water

salt and pepper

 

 

Mirepoix

 

1 onion, rough cut

1 carrot, rough cut

1 celery stalk, rough cut

 

1 1/2 cups red wine

2 cups beef stock

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

6 black peppercorns

 

 

There's a lot going on in that little crock of Princess French Onion Soup! Guess that's why it tastes so good, and we love it so much!

 

Bon Appetit!

Chris

[Greg and Mary]

Thanks so much to everyone who replied. I hope mine will be as good as theirs. Or better yet, maybe I'll start ordering at local restaraunts until I find another good one!!:)

 

Mary

[direfun2000]

I was just on Princess's website. At the VERY bottom of the home page is a link "contact us" that will bring you to a new page. There is a link there where you can email a request for both food & drink recipes. Hope this helps. (total fluke that I even saw it btw);)