Taiwan (Onion Soup Bowl)

Designer
Maker	“That’s Entertaining!”
Marks	Impressed “Made in Taiwan” to base
Description	Lidded heavy stoneware bowl with large diameter handle
Condition	Unused, new in box, no damage, small unglazed area to 1 lid.
Number
Production Date	1980s
Width	120mm
Depth	65mm
Height (with lid)	100mm
Length (with handle)	185mm
Weight	495gm
Volume	500ml
Acquisition	Uniting Church Store Dandenong 10 Jan 2112
Rameking Reference Number	TEN 001-004

Question;            What do you do to an item that has lost its gloss? 

Answer;            Call it something that is even trendier; Re-invent them.

Back in the 1970s, you remember them, the decade that style forgot; ramekins were starting to go out of fashion.  What were makers to do?  Easy, re-name them.  The big thing at dinner parties those days as a starter was French Onion Soup.  Ramekins are ideal for this type of soup because they can be put into an oven.  There have always been French Onion Soup bowls in France, usually made from brown earthenware.  The handle was used to transfer it from oven to table.  Having the ramekin in the oven can give you a crust to the soup.  These ramekins come in different sizes, from entrée to mains.  Many have lids to keep in the heat.

I don't know anything about this maker except that these ramekins are made in Taiwan and are stoneware, which is a dense, fine-grained, non-translucent, vitrified clay body that is impervious to liquids and fired at a high temperature (1200º–1350ºC). The clay contains significant amounts of aluminum silicates. Stoneware has partially vitrified bodies and most often are brown, grey or white. An opaque ceramic containing a naturally vitrifying clay e.g., a stoneware clay or a suitable ball clay. Sometimes a non-plastic constituent and a flux are added. Stoneware is known for its colour glaze as it is inferior to porcelain in whiteness. Stoneware bodies are heavier than Porcelain and Fine Bone China and are not transparent and is usually made of local clay. Stoneware is less expensive than both Bone China and Porcelain products.

The history of pottery in Taiwan goes back over six thousand years and combines traditional and modern methods and techniques.  Makers have recently evolved new manufacturing processes and now export worldwide.  Like many Asian countries, the tradition of pottery and ceramics runs deep.  The town of Yingge is known as a pottery town and has an annual festival to celebrate ceramics, as well as a large modern pottery museum.  There are dozens of manufacturers operating in Taiwan today.

There is some question about the glaze used in those days.  Some people believe that lead glazes were used.  If in doubt, do not use them for serving food.  Have a look on this site for more information.

http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/foodcontaminantsadulteration/metals/lead/ucm233281.htm

If you surf the net you can find many variations on a French Onion Soup recipe.  There are lots of complicated ways of preparing what is a simple dish.  Here is my version.  It serves four to six depending on the size of the serves.  Forget all the crap about preparing some of the ingredients days in advance; you can if you want to but you don’t have to.

You will need

700 grams of onions, they don’t have to be French, any nationality will do. (That’s about six; Red onions are sweeter, if you prefer)

40 grams of butter (That’s about four tablespoons)

2 tablespoons of flour (or cornflour)

1.75 litre of beef stock.  (add more stock or water to taste)

1 glass of white wine. (If its not good enough to drink, don’t cook with it)  Non drinkers can just add more water but remember that the alcohol in wine is boiled off during the cooking.

2 (or more) slices of toast.  (A lot of recipes go into great detail about crouton or baguette preparation.  Once the diced toast is in the soup and covered with cheese, no-one cares.  Many people use a toasted slice of baguette, but this can be too thick.  A layer of croutons is much easier to get through.

Cheese.  One slice per serve.  Use the traditional Gruyere, or maybe Swiss; forget all the other rubbish cheeses.  You can sprinkle some Parmesan over the finished product and allow to brown if you wish.  Some people tell you to melt it over the sides, but that is just a waste.

What to do;

• Peel and thinly slice the onions lengthwise.  Put into a large uncovered saucepan and add the butter.  Stir regularly over a low to medium heat.  Cook for at least 35 minutes until they have caramelized.  (That’s when they are very soft and a sticky consistency and golden brown.)  Some recipes tell you to speed up the process by adding sugar.  This means that you only have caramel in the bottom, not caramelized onion.

(At this point, lots of others add salt or herbs or bay leaves, or even sugar.  If the onions are OK you don’t need the rest.)

• Add the flour if necessary when you see caramelization on the bottom of the saucepan.
• Add the stock, cover and  simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Ladle into ramekins and place croutons on top.
• Cover with thinly sliced cheese
• Bake in a hot oven (pre-heated to 350 degrees for 20 minutes or grill until the cheese has melted and slightly browned.
• Sprinkle with parmesan.
• Serve and consume, preferably with a nice merlot. (a soft red goes really well with French Onion Soup)

ENJOY.

Oh, by the way, if anyone out there in Webland has any information about this maker, I would be glad to hear from you.