Hannah Glasse’s Onion Soup (from Hearthside Cooking by Nancy Carter Crump)

• 1/2  c.  butter
• 2  1/2  lb. coarsely chopped onions
• 1/3  c. flour
• 4  c. water
• 2  c. beef stock
• 1 slice bread, toasted and diced
• salt to taste
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1  T.  red wine vinegar    

Slowly melt butter in a heavy skillet, over moderate heat.  Stir in chopped onions.  Cover pan and cook slowly, stirring occasionaly, for about 15 minutes, or until onions are very soft.

Shake on flour, stir in well and continue to cook onions slowly, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.  Stir often, scraping onions up from bottom of pan, to prevent sticking.  Onions will gradually turn a dark golden brown.

Boil water combined with stock.  Slowly  add browned onions to water and broth, stirring carefully.  Add one cup of hot broth to pan, scraping up all the particles remaining.  Add to soup pot.

Add toast and salt to taste.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Combine egg yolks and vinegar.  Remove soup from heat.  Gradually add 1  cup hot soup into egg mixture.  Stir all back into soup pot. 

Serve immediately.  Serves 6 – 8.

Hannah Glasse’s Onion Soup (Interpretation)

• 1  lb. onions (5 medium)
• 1/4  lb. butter
• 1  T.   flour
• 4  c. boiling water
• 1  c. stale bread crumbs
• 1  1/2  t. salt or to taste
• 1 egg yolk
• 1  1/2  t. vinegar

Peel and chop onions.  Melt butter.  Saute onions for about 15 minutes.  Shake in flour, stirring continuously.  Shake pan and cook a few minutes.  Pour in boiling water and stir. 

Add bread crumbs and salt.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring continuously. 

Remove from heat.  Beat egg yolk with vinegar.  Stir about 1/3  c. of the hot onion mixture into the egg.  Then stir the egg mixture back into the soup.  Mix well and serve.  Makes about 5 cups.

This recipe is from the book;  Revolutionary Recipes,  Colonial food lore, and more, by Patricia B. Mitchell.

Hannah Glasse authored one of the first cookbook’s in colonial times.