Messing around with French Onion Soup

A year or so ago I had just made some nice domestic duck stock from the carcass left over from the previous evenings meal. I tasted it and it was sooo nice and rich I thought I might try it as part of the stock in French onion soup. Adding to the stocks used really gives the soup a nice richness. I have always in the past used some veal stock in the soup but since I don't always have veal stock I now let the duck stock take it's place.

Sounds like a wonderful way to up the richness on the soup. Is the duck richness harmonious with the richness imparted by the cheese? I love French Onion Soup and when it gets a little cooler here in the mid-Atlantic, I might try this.

We have some turkey neck and inards along with same along with neck flap, tail, and wing tips from a duck. May just make a stock out of those and give it a try myself.

I usually used a combination of stocks in my French Onion soup. I always loved to be able to have veal stock make up about 1/3 of the stock. Veal, other than cutlets, is getting harder to find around here. The addition of the duck stock takes it's place. I think that the degree of richness of the soup is a matter of taste. My own prejudices are against stocks that taste of being made from a base, or taste like they came from a can or carton, or are just too thin. I always make my stocks from scraps that have been baked or braised. I prefer the richness that the baking/braising gives the stocks. I figure I can always dilute my home made stocks with some weak vegetable stock or court bouillon if I need to thin them out.

I make a large pot of French Onion Soup several times a year and always use the various stocks I've made and frozen prior to the soup cooking day. For the soup I made last week I used chicken, beef, and turkey stock that I had in the freezer. I don't think you can go wrong with any kind of homemade stock, except for fish or shellfish stock of course.