This weekend, Olotu Oluwatimilehin Samuel, also known as Chef Olotu, will take us on a culinary trip. With an excellent ability to work magic in the kitchen, he’ll show us how to make Ehuru-spiced onion soup.

He said, “While the traditional French onion soup relies on a standard pinch of nutmeg for subtle warmth, this recipe is uniquely different by completely swapping it out for Ehuru.”

Here is how to make Chef Olotu’s Ehuru-spiced onion soup:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 lbs large yellow onions, Lyonnaise cut (about 3 to 4 pieces)

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground Ehuru (Calabash Nutmeg)

• 4 cups brown stock, unsalted

• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)

• Kosher salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 to 2 tablespoons sherry wine (optional)

• French bread, as needed

• 1 ½ cups Gruyère or Swiss cheese (or a mixture), coarsely grated

Instruction
Before starting the soup, place your whole ehuru seeds into a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes until highly fragrant. Remove from the heat, peel off the hard outer shells, and grind the inner seed into a fine powder. Set aside ½ teaspoon.

Heat the butter in a stockpot over medium-low heat.

Add the onions and coat them evenly with the butter. Cook over low heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (Expect this to take around 45 minutes)

Deglaze the pan with the brandy (or brown stock), scraping up any fond that has stuck to the surface of the pan. Reduce the liquid to au sec (until nearly dry).

Add stock and Ehuru: pour in the 4 cups of brown stock and stir in your ½ teaspoon of toasted, ground ehuru. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the soup for at least 20 minutes to allow the woody, aromatic ehuru to blend perfectly with the sweet onions.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the sherry wine, if desired. (Taste the broth here; if you want a punchier ehuru profile, add up to another ¼ teaspoon).

Keep the soup hot for service.

Cut the bread or croutons into ½ inch to 1 inch slices, or slices that fit your bowls or crocks. Each serving of soup will need 1 to 2 slices to cover the top, depending on the size of the serving vessel.

Lay the bread slices onto a sheet pan and toast under a broiler until lightly browned.

Ladle each portion of soup into a crock or small bowl and top with the toasted bread slice(s). Cover the bread completely with the grated cheese.

Carefully place the bowls or crocks onto a sheet tray and place in a preheated oven at 250°C under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and browned.

Serve

Chef’s tip

This entire process relies on low, gentle heat. Patience is your most important ingredient; timing is the secret to getting the best flavour and perfectly brown, sweet onions.