Potage Parabère

Ingredients:

5 medium onions, thinly sliced
30g butter
1l veal or chicken stock
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
kneaded butter
1 dessertspoon parsley, finely chopped

For Liaison:
1 egg yolk
75ml single cream

To Garnish:
1 medium carrot
1/2 celery stick
green part of 1 leek

Method:

Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the onion slices and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander then put back in the pan with the butter. Cover and sweat down gently for about 5 minutes, or until soft but not coloured.

Take the pan off the heat and pour off the butter (reserve this). Add the stock to the onions, adjust the seasoning to taste then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 12 minutes, or until the onion is very tender.

In the meantime, prepare the garnish. Slice the vegetables into thin strips. Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the vegetables and cook for about 6 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

Take the reserved butter and work in half the volume of flour to yield a smooth paste. This is your kneaded butter.

When the onion is soft, rub through a fine-meshed sieve to purée. Return the onion mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the kneaded butter a small piece at a time, then cook gently until the soup has thickened to the consistency of single cream.

For the liaison, beat together the egg yolk and cream in a heat-proof bowl. Add a ladleful of the soup stock to this to temper then work the mixture back into the soup. Heat gently over low heat to thicken (do not boil, or it will curdle).

When thickened, take off the heat and stir in the parsley. Turn into a tureen and garnish with the boiled slivers of vegetable.

Serve immediately.