English Onion Soup, Game Stock, and...

So I'm posting the recipe for the onion soup I made because it was amazing.  It comes from Jamie Olivers show.  Laurel suggested I post the recipe for the pasta dish even though it was nothing to write home about, and I was going to until I had some leftovers last night...awful!  I won't say which chef the recipe came from except that it's no one I've mentioned.  I did take some liberties with the recipe, in substituting the pasta for sausage ravioli which may have balanced out the bitterness with some saltiness.  In any case, it' not worth posting.

Here's the soup:

Ingredients:
White Onion
Yellow Onion
Red Onion
Leeks (2 or 3)
Sage
Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Stock (Recipe to follow)
Worcestershire Sauce
Thick bread that has sat out a day or two
Emmentaler cheese
Ovenproof soup bowls

First I sliced all the onions into half moons.  Trim the tough parts off the leeks (my mom once mentioned using leeks without doing this, I'm sure her guests were chewing forever), then wash, halve and slice them. Heat a pan (I used a dutch oven) and add some of the olive oil and about 2 tablespoons of butter or so.  Peels and crush the garlic, toss it in with some sage leaves and stir around a minute or so.  Then add all the onions, cover, and leave on a medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.  In the end, it should end up a browned mass of softened onions.  At this point, add stock.  I had made some homemade game stock, but otherwise I would've just used canned chicken stock. bring to a simmer.  Then ladle into each of the bowls.  Add some sliced bread.  Shave the Emmentaler on top, add a few sage leaves.  Then drizzle a few drops of the olive oil and worcestershire over each. Put them in the oven or under the broiler for just a minute or so to melt the cheese, then remove and enjoy.




So I don't normally make game stock in my spare time...however, almost a year ago I made a big mixed game feast that involved removing a number of bones and innards, which I then froze.  Given, that it's been almost a year I figured I had to use them up and this would be a good time. It makes a lot of stock, which I've frozen.  I cobbled this recipe together from Anthony Bourdain's and Ina Garten's.  I liked Anthony Bourdain's roasting of the bones first and Ina Garten's shorter cooking time.

Game Stock:
Bones, etc...
Herbs (Thyme, Dill or a Bouquet Garni)
Carrots
Garlic
Onions
Celery
Salt
Olive Oil
Pepper

First I threw all the bones and innards on a sheet pan, then added a few crushed garlic cloves and quartered onions (both unpeeled).  Then toss the whole bunch with olive oil, salt and pepper.  I roasted at about 375 for about 25 minutes, until it was browned (not black, so you have to watch it).  Also toss it around once during cooking.

When the bones are done, get a big stock pot (I used two).  Chop up all the vegetables, but they don't need to be peeled (carrots, additional onions, halve a garlic head, celery...these are the vegetables I had, you can add additional or a different combination).  Through in the bones and some herbs (I used fresh thyme and dried dill).  Cover with water and add about 2 tablespoons salt and a teaspoon of pepper.  Bring the whole thing to a simmer and leave there for 4 hours.  Then let it cool and strain out the stock.  It makes a lot, so I just freeze what I don't need.

One more thing I forgot to mention was what game.  I had made Jamie Oliver's mixed feathered game, which included partridges, quail, squab (pigeons to us commoners), and guinea fowl.  I believe I only had bones from the guinea fowl and partridge and innards and neck from everthing.