French Onion Soup
Chef Noor builds the depth the slow way: veal bones roasted with olive oil, simmered with onion, garlic, celery, mint and whole spices into a rich broth — then caramelised white onions with a touch of brown sugar and flour, and a mozzarella-topped French bread lid bubbling from the oven.
How to Prepare
Roast the veal bones with olive oil and black pepper until deeply browned.
Simmer the roasted bones with onion, garlic, a piece of lemon, celery, mint leaves, bay leaves, cardamom, black pepper and mixed spices for about 90 minutes; strain the broth.
In a wide pot, slowly caramelise the sliced white onions with the garlic, salt and brown sugar until deep golden.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir for a minute, then gradually add the hot broth and simmer until the soup thickens slightly.
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, float French bread slices on top and cover generously with mozzarella.
Brown under the oven grill until the cheese bubbles, and serve immediately.
Patience with the onions is the whole soup — keep the heat medium-low and let them caramelise slowly to deep gold, never burnt.