Old San Francisco Steakhouse Recipes

OLD SAN FRANCISCO STEAKHOUSE'S FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large heavy pot over moderate heat and add the onions, separating the rings with a fork. Cover and sauté onions, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and cook, stirring often, until the onions are very soft and a deep golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Add beef stock, chicken stock, sherry, brown sugar, pepper, thyme, parsley, paprika and scallions. Simmer for 10 minutes, or longer, if desired. To serve, pour soup into warmed bowls, and top with croutons and Swiss cheese.
• To clarify butter: Melt butter in a heavy pan over low heat. Skim off froth and carefully pour clear liquid into another container, being careful to leave the milky residue behind.
• Recipe can be halved or doubled.
• At the restaurant we served these in onion bowls -- or very large yellow onions with the root cut off and the insides mostly scraped out(this can be used in the soup) with an ice cream scoop. After toping them with croutons and cheese they were placed under the broiler until bubbling.

ALMOND CRUNCH CAKE

Steps:

• CAKE: Sift together flour and 3/4 c sugar.
• Make a well in the center, add egg yolks, water, lemon juice, vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt just until soft peaks form.
• Add remaining sugar, 2 T at a time, continuing to beat until stiff.
• Fold flour mixture gently into egg whites.
• Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
• Cut carefully through the batter, going around tube 5 or 6 times with a knife to break air bubbles.
• Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.
• Invert pan 1 hour or until cool.
• Remove cake and split into 4 equal layers.
• ALMOND BRITTLE TOPPING: Combine sugar, coffee, syrup, and water in a saucepan, stirring well.
• Cook to hard crack stage, 290 degrees, remove from heat and add soda.
• Stir vigorously until mixture blends and pulls away from sides of pan.
• Quickly pour into an ungreased shallow baking pan.
• Let stand until cool.
• Knock out of pan and crush candy with a rolling pin into small chunks.
• Whip cream and fold in sugar and vanilla.
• Spread half of cream between layers and remainder over top and sides.
• Cover top and sides with candy, lightly pressing into cream.
• Decorate with almonds.
• Do not press candy and almonds into cream more than 6 hours before serving.
• Refrigerate.

OLD SAN FRANCISCO DRESSING

Steps:

• Mix salt, paprika and sugar in a quart jar. Add ketchup, mix well.
• Add oil, vinegar and lemon juice.
• Shake well.
• Add onion and shake again.