folo

Well, it’s crud season again, and I had mine this week. So as a public service, I offer the recipe that saw me through — an easy-on-the-dizzy Greek take on chicken soup that’ll fix you up fast.

SOUPA RIZI AVGHOLEMONO
(Rice Soup with Egg & Lemon)
From The Best Book of Greek Cookery, by Chryssa Paradissis; Athens, 1971

6 cups beef or chicken stock
6 tablespoons uncooked rice
2 eggs
salt
juice of 1 lemon

Bring to the boil the beef or chicken stock. Add the rice. Cook covered until tender. Add salt, if necessary.

Beat eggs and lemon juice in bowl. Add gradually by spoonfuls about 1/2 cup of stock, stirring constantly. Pour egg-lemon mixture into remaining stock in saucepan.

Heat soup over a very low heat and stir constantly. Take care that it does not boil. Serve at once. Serves 4.

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And when you’re recovered, try this dish I found in NYT winter-before-last: an onion soup so robust, it’s actually a savory bread pudding. Originally from the 1907 Gastronomie Pratique by “Ali-Bab” (Henri Babinski), the recipe first appeared in NYT in a 1974 article by Craig Claiborne. Outrageous good with a green salad and a nice bottle of red.

Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée
[AKA "Hebm in a Bowl"]

1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 25 to 30)
9 tablespoons butter, softened
9 ounces Emmental [or Gruyere] cheese, finely grated
8 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
1 cup tomato purée

1. Toast the baguette slices and let them cool. Spread a generous layer of butter on each slice (you will need about 5 tablespoons), then lay the slices close together on a baking sheet and top with all but 1/2 cup of cheese.

2. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, about 15 minutes.

3. In a 5-quart casserole, arrange a layer of bread slices (about 1/3 of them). Spread 1/3 of the onions on top, followed by 1/3 of the tomato purée. Repeat for two more layers. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. To avoid boiling over, the casserole must not be more than 2/3 full.

4. In a saucepan, bring 1 1/2 quarts water to a boil. Add the salt. Very slowly pour the salted water into the casserole, near the edge, so that the liquid rises just to the top layer of cheese without covering it. (Depending on the size of your casserole, you may need more or less water.)

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the casserole on the stove and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour. The soup is ready when the surface looks like a crusty, golden cake and the inside is unctuous and so well blended that it is impossible to discern either cheese or onion. Each person is served some of the baked crust and some of the inside, which should be thick but not completely without liquid. Serves 6.

[Notes: This is knock-down/drag-out good as is -- with a gorgeous crust -- but if you want to play up the faint tomatoey note, I guess you could add some fresh-ground black pepper and basil, maybe substitute a splash of red wine for some of the water, and maybe use garlic salt. For reheating any leftovers, maybe a little beef broth or red wine? Be careful, though -- it's plenty rich with just water for moisture.]