flipSoupe à l'oignon des veilles de calcul
Soupe à l'oignon des veilles de calcul
Why this dish? Legendre spent his nights covering notebooks with calculations by candlelight, in a modest Parisian apartment. Onion soup, economical and comforting, was the supper of the nocturnal worker and the frugal scholar: it was found in every kitchen in the capital, from the markets to academic lodgings.
Onions slowly blonded in a little butter, moistened with broth, poured over stale bread slices and gratinéed. A poor man's dish turned universal comfort, perfect for warming a night of study.
You see, I am no man of feasts, and many an evening my supper comes down to this humble soup. I let my onions turn blond very gently, without haste—that is the whole secret, as in geometry: patience resolves what haste muddles. I pour my broth over yesterday's bread crusts, and while it simmers, I return to my tables of numbers. Believe me, the mind works better when the belly is warm and the expense modest.
- •Onions — a good handful, about five or six (sweet, melting base)
- •Fresh butter — the size of an egg (for browning)
- •Pot bouillon — one large bowl per person (liquid)
- •Stale bread — a few slices (soup base)
- •Cheese for grating (Gruyère) — to taste (gratin)
Soupe à l'oignon des veilles de calcul
Onions slowly blonded in a little butter, moistened with broth, poured over stale bread slices and gratinéed. A poor man's dish turned universal comfort, perfect for warming a night of study.
Why this dish? Legendre spent his nights covering notebooks with calculations by candlelight, in a modest Parisian apartment. Onion soup, economical and comforting, was the supper of the nocturnal worker and the frugal scholar: it was found in every kitchen in the capital, from the markets to academic lodgings.
You see, I am no man of feasts, and many an evening my supper comes down to this humble soup. I let my onions turn blond very gently, without haste—that is the whole secret, as in geometry: patience resolves what haste muddles. I pour my broth over yesterday's bread crusts, and while it simmers, I return to my tables of numbers. Believe me, the mind works better when the belly is warm and the expense modest.
Ingredients (period version)
- Onions — a good handful, about five or six (sweet, melting base)
- Fresh butter — the size of an egg (for browning)
- Pot bouillon — one large bowl per person (liquid)
- Stale bread — a few slices (soup base)
- Cheese for grating (Gruyère) — to taste (gratin)
Ingredients
- Yellow onions — 600 g (5 to 6) (sweet, melting base)
- Butter — 50 g (for browning)
- Beef broth — 1.2 L (liquid)
- Stale country bread — 6 slices (soup base)
- Grated Gruyère — 120 g (gratin)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Thinly slice the onions.
- Melt them in butter over low heat, stirring, for 30 to 40 minutes, until a beautiful golden blond colour—above all, do not burn them.
- Moisten with hot broth, lightly salt, let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Arrange the bread slices in ovenproof bowls, pour the soup over them.
- Cover with grated Gruyère and place under the grill until the cheese is gratinéed and strings.
How it was made : Before the cheese gratin popularised in the 19th century, onion soup was often eaten simply: bread and onion broth, sometimes thickened with an egg yolk. It was the "Halles soup" taken in the early morning. The sugar from the onions replaced absent opulence.
The contemporary twist : A splash of dry white wine deglazed in the onions, and the bowl christened "Least Squares Potage"—each spoonful minimises the gap between hunger and satiety.
Sources : Menon, La Cuisinière bourgeoise, 1746 · Grimod de la Reynière, Almanach des Gourmands, 1803-1812
Adrien-Marie Legendre · Charactorium
