IP French Onion Soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp unsalted butter

680g yellow onions (about 5), thinly sliced. (If you wish, reserve a small wedge of onion to grate into the cooked soup)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

½ c dry white wine

1.5l salt-free meat stock

12 to 24 slices French baguette, sliced about 1" thick

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp cognac (optional)

½ c Gruyere or Swiss cheese shavings (cut using a vegetable peeler)

1 c shredded Gruyere or swiss cheese

Put IP on Low/Med Saute. Add the vegetable oil and 1tbsp of the butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 10m). Switch to Keep Warm, add the salt and vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a uniform brown (15 to 20m)

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 230c. Make the roux: In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the remaining 2tbsp butter and the flour until the butter has melted and the mixture begins to foam. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and watching carefully, until the roux turns a nice tan colour. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Deglaze the IP dish with the white wine and cook until it evaporates completely. Add the meat stock.

Close and lock the lid of the IP, cook at high pressure for 5m. Quick release when the time is up.

Meanwhile arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each with olive oil. Toast in the oven until lightly browned (about 5m). Set the toasts aside and set the oven to grill.

Season the soup with the pepper. Ladle about ½ c of the soup into the saucepan with the roux and whisk until combined. Then whisk the roux mixture into the soup in the IP dish. If you wish, add a few grater swipes of the reserved onion wedge to the soup. Set the IP to sautee on low and simmer the soup for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and if using stir the cognac into the soup.

To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls or an ovenproof soup tureen. Sprinkle the cheese shavings over the soup, arrange a layer of toasts on top, and cover the toast with generous amounts of shredded cheese. Place under the grill until the cheese has melted and turned golden (3 to 5m)

From Hip Pressure Cooking, p45

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