Champagne Onion Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 10 onions sliced
• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 4 cups of boiling water
• 4 inch green stalk of a leek
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 peppercorns
• 4 sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 bottle of dry champagne
• Half a Camembert Cheese or a small brie
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup of Port
• 8 slices of thick bread fried in butter
• 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet or saucepan.  Add the sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden.  Add the boiling water.  Tie the bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns into the green stalk of the leek to create a bouquet garnis.  Add this to the pot.  Add salt, cayenne, and nutmeg.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
2. Add the quart of dry champagne to the soup and bring it back up to a boil.
3. Add the cheese and mix well.
4. Beat the egg yolks together with the port.  Scoop some of the hot soup into the egg mixture and temper the yolks.  Gradually whisk the egg/port mix into the soup.
5. Remove the soup from the heat and let it rest covered for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile fry the bread in butter and place on slice on the bottom of each bowl.  Ladle the soup on top and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
7. Serve hot.