gratinee

"This week, I made a Gratinee Normande, a French onion soup but made with cider.

I also remembered our popular onion soup gratinee and Chateaubriand Bearnasie being on the menu that night.

Also known as Soupe Aux Oignons Parisienne, Gratinee Lyonnaise or Soupe Aux Halles (referring to the famous Parisian market), it's a thin soup made from just a handful of cheap ingredients which is a marvel of simplicity.

Some items on the menu include Smoked Duck Potstickers, French Onion Soup Gratinee, Grilled Salmon with Ricotta Gnocchi and Shaved Fennel, Papparedelle Pasta with an Arugula Basil Pesto, and Beef Tenderloin with House-Made Steak Sauce, among many other options.

Beautifully embellished with the color photography of Thomas Robert Clarke, this culinary treasure trove showcases dishes that range from Grilled Jersey Peaches with Greek Yogurt and Granola (Lasolas Market); Oysters Gratinee (Fratello's Restaurant); Grilled Tuna Nicoise Salad with Dijon-Thyme Vinaigrette (Black-Eyed Susans); and Pan-Seared New Jersey Black Sea Bass with White Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salsa (Shore Fresh Seafood); to New Jersey Skate with Summer Vegetable Ratatouille (The Blue Pig Tavern); Lobster Thermidor (Knife and Fork Inn); Seared Viking Village Scallops with Grilled Corn, Zucchini, and Roasted Tomatoes (The Gables); and Creme Brulee (The Grenville Hotel and Restaurant).

An Alsatian (also south German) dish made of thinly rolled rectangular bread dough, the 'flame cake' as they say in German comes in about four varieties but the best of them is undoubtedly the gratinee (Dh48) that's topped with Gruyere on a layer of cream cheese, onions, Emmental and lots of sauteed mushrooms to make it a wood-fired oven pizza of a kind.

Eventually I chose the prawn gratinee PS7.50) - king prawns in a white wine, garlic, chilli and tomato sauce with toasted croutons while Phil chose the mushroom feuillete (PS5.50).

Passard's classics of Onion Gratinee with the sweet tart notes of pear and the amazingly simple yet sublime Egg with Maple Syrup Cream are the stuff that dreams are made of.

Those were the days when the lord of the kitchen, who would invariably be either a Mascarenhas or a Gomes, insisted on calling the Parisian soupe a l'oignon gratinee, French onion soup.

Chili, chowder and soups are a staple at ski resorts, and the Outlook's assortment of French onion soup gratinee' ($6), soup du jour ($5), chicken rice soup ($5), New England clam chowder ($6) and Firehouse 3 Alarm Chili ($6) maintained the tradition.

Pour over the cheese sauce and gratinee under the salamander until golden brown.

No one would suggest that a chef who can produce a caramel- ised foie gras, a gratinee of grilled sea scallops, and a soy- roasted blue cod couldn't also produce a respectable soup.