French Onion Panade

French Onion Panade

Panade is the French country cook's answer to stuffing — a satisfying and efficient way to use up stale bread. Because there are so few components, taking care to ensure that each one is just right will make all the difference in how the final dish tastes. Start with a stale, crusty loaf of sourdough bread. Cook the onions slowly, until they're a deep caramel color, and then season them properly with vinegar and wine. Buy good Gruyère and Parmesan, and grate it yourself. And finally, use either homemade chicken stock, or buy some from a butcher. The result will be triumph of upcycling: basically French onion soup without the soup — just bite after bite of cheesy, onion-and-stock-soaked bread. Serve it as a main course, with a light green salad and a dry white wine or an ice-cold beer.

Ingredients

  • 1 large

    stale loaf crusty sourdough bread, cut into 1/3-inch slices, about 1 1/4 pounds

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

    divided, 4 ounces

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 pounds yellow onions

    thinly sliced, about 5 large

  • Fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup white wine or dry vermouth
  • 5 to 6 cups chicken stock

    preferably homemade

  • 12 ounces Gruyère cheese

    grated, about 3 cups

  • 3 ounces Parmesan

    finely grated, about 1 1/3 cups

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. 1

    Heat oven to 325.

  2. 2

    Divide bread slices among 2 or 3 baking sheets. Spread bread out in a single layer, and toast for 20 minutes, then flip slices, and rotate pans to ensure even toasting. Toast until dried out and lightly golden, about 35 minutes total. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425, and adjust oven rack to center position.

  3. 3

    Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter and olive oil. When butter has melted, add onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

  4. 4

    Once the onions cook down a bit and release some liquid, remove lid and increase heat to medium high. Continue cooking and stirring regularly until onions are tender and dark golden brown, about 45 minutes total. Turn off heat, add vinegar and wine and stir to deglaze. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed — the onions should be sweet, savory and pleasantly tangy. Spoon onions into a heatproof bowl, and set aside.

  5. 5

    Return pot to stove. Add stock and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Taste, and adjust salt as needed — it should taste like good chicken soup.

  6. 6

    Place both cheeses in a medium bowl, and mix to combine.

  7. 7

    Butter the inside of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with a layer of toasted bread, breaking up pieces as needed to form a solid layer. Spoon half the onion mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, and season with pepper. Continue layering with bread, the remainder of the onions and another 1/3 of the cheese. Top off with a final layer of bread.

  8. 8

    Ladle 3 cups of stock over the panade, then wait a minute, and allow the bread to absorb liquid. Pressing down on panade with a metal spatula, add as much stock as the panade will absorb without overflowing. Dot the top layer of bread with remaining butter, then cover with parchment paper and foil. Place baking dish atop baking sheet to catch any overflow, then slide onto the center rack. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and parchment, sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Bake until golden brown.

  9. 9

    Remove panade from oven, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cover, and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat to serve.

French Onion Panade

French Onion Panade

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About this Recipe

Transform humble stale bread into a masterpiece of French country cooking with this irresistible French Onion Panade. This dish is the ultimate triumph of upcycling, delivering comforting, cheesy, onion-and-stock-soaked goodness that will warm you from the inside out.

The magic of panade lies in its simplicity; with so few components, focusing on quality and technique for each makes all the difference. Slow-cooked yellow onions achieve a deep caramel color, forming the flavorful heart of the dish, while good Gruyère and Parmesan melt into an unctuous, savory topping. Properly seasoning the onions with vinegar and wine further elevates their depth.

Prepare for a truly satisfying experience that's basically French onion soup without the soup. You'll enjoy bite after bite of tender, stock-infused sourdough, layered with deeply caramelized onions and generously blanketed in a golden crust of melted Gruyère and Parmesan. Each forkful offers a complex interplay of sweet, savory, and tangy notes, creating a rustic yet refined dish. This hearty creation provides a satisfying meal that feels both comforting and sophisticated.

While this recipe shines with its classic components, you can adapt it to your pantry. Ensure you're using a stale, crusty sourdough loaf, which is key to its structure and texture. For the liquids, if you don't have white-wine vinegar, a good quality apple cider vinegar can be a substitute for the acidity. If white wine is unavailable, dry vermouth works perfectly. The quality of your chicken stock, preferably homemade, significantly impacts the final flavor.

This hearty French Onion Panade makes an excellent main course. Serve it alongside a light green salad to cut through the richness and pair it with a crisp dry white wine or an ice-cold beer for a truly delightful meal.

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