Onion soup and its foam by Toshitaka Omiya

“In the kitchen, we use everything and waste nothing!” – Toshitaka Omiya.

The chef from the one- star Parisian restaurant Alliance is sharing with us his zero-waste recipe – only using onions.

Ingredients 

• 5 yellow onions
• 1l of milk
• Whole Parmesan cheese
• Single cream
• 20cl of milk
• Unsalted butter

Recipe

Step 1 -The purée

1. To save water, clean your onions in a bowl.
2. Peel them off and put the skin aside.
3. With a mandolin or a knife, thinly slice them.
4. In a large pan, put the sliced onion and cover with water. Put the top on and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Separate the cooking liquid from the onions. Still in a large pan, let the liquid reduce.
6. In the meantime, blend cooked onions.
7. Once reduced, you will get a caramel colour cooking juice. You can add the purée and stir the preparation! 

Step 2 – The foam

1. In a papillote of aluminum foil, close onions ‘skin.
2. Place in the oven at 180°C for 2-3 hours. They will carbonise and will stop being bitter.
3. In a pan, heat the milk and 2 handful of grated parmesan. Add the carbonised skin.
4. Blend and strain with a cloth.
5. Collect the liquid and foam it! 

Step 3 – The soup

1. From the purée freshly made, mix in the butter, the single cream and a bit of milk.
2. And whisk the soup. 

Step 4 – Gluten-free crouton

The Chef has come up with the idea of making gluten-free crouton from the parmesan rind you have grated earlier. We have told you; nothing is thrown away!

1. In a pan of water, blanch the rind for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Cut in “brunoise”: slice then dice.
3. Use a frying-pan to fry your tiny croutons. 

Step 5 – Presentation

1. Take out your best soup plate and slowly pour your onion soup.
2. Spice things up with a spoon of onion foam.
3. Lay your parmesan crouton.

 And voila, bon appetite!