-=> Quoting Ruth Haffly to Dave Drum <=-

 DD> Sweating is, BTW, a culinary term for sauteeing.

 RH> I know, I cook too. (G)

There is a difference.

Sauteeing is cooking quickly at high temperatures with a little fat,
In the case of onions they brown and you have to be careful not to
burn them.

Sweating is cooking slowly and gently in oil or butter at lower
temperatures and is akin to poaching. Onions done that way slowly
caramelise and turn golden. The process cam take up to an hour when
making French onion soup.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Baked French Onion Soup
 Categories: Soups, Beef, Wine, Bread, Cheese
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      3 tb Butter
      1 tb Oil
      3 lb Onion; sliced very thinly
      1 ts Salt
      1 ts White sugar
      3 tb Flour
      4 cn Beef consomme
      4 cn Water
      2 c  Dry red wine
      1    Bay leaf
      1 ts Sage
           Sliced toasted French bread
           Mozzarella cheese; shredded
           Parmesan cheese; shredded
 
  Melt butter with oil in large soup pot - add sliced onions and
  stir to coat - cover pot and cook over moderately low heat for 15
  - 20 minutes - stirring
  
  occasionally until onions are tender and translucent.  Uncover pot
  and raise heat to moderately high - stir in salt and sugar (sugar
  caramelizes and helps onions to brown) - cook about 30 minutes -
  stirring frequently until onions have turned an even deep golden
  brown. Lower heat to moderate - stir in flour and add a bit more
  butter if flour does not absorb into a paste with the onions. Cook
  slowly, stirring constantly for 12 minutes to brown flour lightly.
  
  Remove from heat - pour about 1 cup of warmed consomme into
  onion/flour mixture to blend flour and consomme - add rest of
  consomme, water, wine, bay leaf and sage - bring to a simmer.
  Simmer slowly for 30 - 40 minutes.
  
  If you are not serving right away, let cool, uncovered, then cover
  and refrigerate.  Reheat when ready to serve - place in ovenproof
  soup bowls - top with a slice of toasted french bread, shredded
  mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Place under broiler to melt
  cheeses until bubbly.
  
  Recipe By: Barb Bain in Alberta
 
MMMMM

Cheers

Jim


... In expensive restaurants the cookery is almost always Imitation French
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