Description
A riff on French onion soup – deeply caramelised onions create the base for a flavourful broth, enriched with tender pork shoulder and topped with cheesy toast for a luxe finish.
Ingredients
Soup
100 g butter
8 onions, thinly sliced
1.7 kg pork shoulder
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
250 g brown mushrooms, sliced
6 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 C (250 ml) red wine
1 L beef stock
3 tsp (15 ml) corn flour
salt and pepper, to taste
To Serve
1 fresh baguette, sliced
½ C (125 ml) grated Gruyère cheese
½ C (125 ml) grated mozzarella cheese
A pinch of fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
Soup
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, or use the sauté function on an electric pressure cooker. Add the onions and cook slowly for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelised and dark golden brown.
Meanwhile, season the pork shoulder generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat, then sear the pork on all sides until well browned. Set aside.
Remove the onions from the pan/pressure cooker and add the mushrooms, thyme, rosemary and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are golden and the carrots are starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Pour in the red wine and beef stock, and bring to a simmer.
If using a pressure cooker, transfer the caramelised onions, pork and stock mixture into the pot. Seal and cook on high pressure for 1 hour 15 minutes.
If cooking in the oven, preheat to 180 °C. Place the onions, pork and stock mixture into a Dutch oven with a lid. Cover and cook for 3 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender.
Once cooked, remove the pork from the pot, shred the meat and set aside, covered. Bring the broth to a simmer – either using the sauté function on the pressure cooker or on the stovetop over medium heat. Mix the corn flour with a little water to form a slurry, then stir it into the soup to thicken. Return the pork to the soup and stir through. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
To Serve
Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls. Top with a slice or two of baguette and scatter over the Gruyère and mozzarella. Place under the grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme and serve immediately.
