We have a French friend, Jacques. He's moved back to Normandy now, but he lived next-door-but-one for about ten years. He must be about 87 now.
On his 80th birthday he held a large party for friends and family, and he did all the catering. It was fabulous.
At the party he gave a speech, in it he told us how he'd met his English wife and came to live here. Jacques fought in the Second World War for the Free French and was evacuated from Dunkirk, ending up in Liverpool where he met an English nurse...
They had lived in Africa, in Paris and goodness knows where else, but ended up in the Peak District where his wife had grown up. It was after her death two years ago that he returned to his hometown with their little black dog, to retire and cook and speak French. He swore that even after all those years he couldn't understand the English.
Anyway, at the party he made onion soup for the starter. Like no other I'd ever had. And I wanted the recipe.
Every Thursday night Jacques and several others of our acqaintance had a poker evening, serious poker. I can't play, I can't understand how the cards add up...never mind. Our friend Danny also played and I asked him to pump Jacques for the info and relay it back to me. Being a gentleman he said he'd give it a go. I may add at this point that Jacques' accent could be somewhat impenetrable, but Danny- having an Italian mother- was the one to make the mental notes.
I'm going to copy the email he sent me word for word:
"Saw Jacques last night, here's your recipe. (I'll emphasise where he did).
Ingredients
For 2 litres: Either 2 litres of water and a 40g chicken stock cube, or 2 litres homemade chicken stock.
250g onions; 25g plain flour; 50g butter; salt; cayenne pepper acc to taste.
Methode Traditionelle
1) Cook the onions very slowly and thoroughly in the butter until golden. 'This is the most important bit-you must cook them very slowly and thoroughly, 35-45 minoots, thees is the key to the whole thing, you must cook them slowly, not like the usual Eeenglish way-put them in a pan and burn for 2 minoots...verrry slowly, so you get the flavourrr'. You get the picture.
2) Once they are cooked (verrry slowly and thoroughly until golden etc...) thicken with the flour into a roue. 'Make sure there are no lumps'. Then add some of the stock and mix. Then add the rest of the stock, season and simply simmer gently.'GENTLY I say' for about half an hour.
Add croutons, gratinee if you wish.
I listened so long and so carefully that I'm going to try to make the bloody stuff myself (his soup did taste delicious, though).
Bon appetit! Danny."
I kept the email as it made me laugh so much, it's dated May 2005. I've made the soup many times, sometimes with a gratinee (Jacques always used Gruyere) and sometimes with croutons. There are no magic ingredients but it really is delicious.
I have made some chicken stock from a roast we had, I had this recipe in mind for it...
PS the Franglais post-title is Danny's description!
