Classic Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1kg onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 250ml dry white wine
• 1.3l hot strongly-flavoured beef stock
• 4-8 slices French bread (depending on size)
• 140g Gruyère, finely grated

Method

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy-based pan. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for 20 mins more, stirring frequently, until caramelised. The onions should be really golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers. Take care towards the end to ensure that they don’t burn.
2. Add the garlic for the final few mins of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins.
3. To serve, turn on the grill, and toast the bread. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Put a slice or two of toast on top of the bowls of soup, and pile on the cheese. Grill until melted. Alternatively, you can complete the toasts under the grill, then serve them on top.

First time we tried this recipe was: on May 2, 2014!

NIcholas' Secret of Life Part II: White Wine Gravy

 

 Ingredients

• All the juices in the bottom of the Christmas bird baking tray
• 1 tablespoon white flour
• white wiiiiiiiiiiine!
• water
• salt
• pepper

 

Preparation

Decant the juices into a small container and let it settle so that oil and fat rises to top. Spoon off as much of the oil as you can. Pour remainder into a small pot over medium heat. Add generous amounts of wine with a fluid wrist. Add 1 tablespoon white flour and stir with wooden spoon or whisk and stir continuously to eliminate lumps. Let simmer while flour thickens the gravy. Dilute with more wine and/or add more flour until desired consistency achieved. Serve!

First time Nicholas made this for Robyn was: Christmas dinner on December 27, 2013 after a Wormwood Scrubs walk!

Roast Pork in White Wine

Ingredients

• 8 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 4-pound boneless pork loin
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 3-4 onions wedged to roast

Preparation

Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonnay

Preheat oven to 400°. Finely chop garlic and rosemary with 1/2 teaspoon salt on a cutting board. Holding knife at an angle, drag blade over mixture until a coarse paste forms. Transfer paste to a small bowl and mix in oil. 

Place pork, fat side down, on another cutting board with a short end toward you. Holding a sharp knife parallel to board and about 1/2" up side of loin, make an incision along entire length of one side. Continue cutting, lifting meat with your free hand as you go, until loin is open and flat. Spread garlic mixture over inside of loin and season with salt and pepper. Roll pork tightly; using kitchen twine, tie at 1" intervals.

Season pork with salt and pepper; place, fat side up, in a large shallow baking dish. Add wine; add wedged onions to pot in the wine; roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of loin registers 145°, 1 1/2-2 hours.

Transfer to a carving board; let rest at least 10 minutes. Spoon fat from surface of pan juices; discard. Slice pork; serve with pan juices.

DO AHEAD: Pork can be stuffed and tied 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before roasting.
 

First time we tried this recipe was: on November 15, 2013 after a short walk around 'Little Wormwood Scrubs'.

Fish in White Wine and Lemon Sauce

 

Ingredients

• 1 white fish/person such as halibut, snapper, flounder, and/or bass
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 large lemon, sliced
• fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup fish stock
• 2/3 cup dry white wine

 

Preparation

Gut and prep fish. Slice onions and lemons in circles. Fill belly of fish with half, place rest of onions and lemons around fish in a ceramic baking tray. Pour wine, lemon juice, water (or substitute more wine!) over fish. Chop dill and garnish fish. Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature guide

First time we made this recipe was:  dinner on Tuesday, September 3, 2013 after an unbelievably long 'short' walk around Wormwood Scrubs.

Served with: Pouilly Fumé