Onion Soup With Pretzel-Cheese Dumplings

Time: 11/2 hours, plus 1 hour's infusing

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds onions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon sugar
12 ounces dark ale, preferably altbier
6 cups chicken or beef stock
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
4 branches fresh thyme
2 cups packaged pretzel nuggets
11/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese, more for serving
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan. Add onions and sugar and cook over
medium heat, stirring frequently, until onions are golden, about 40
minutes. Add 1 cup ale and stir, scraping pot to release caramelized
particles. Add stock. Simmer 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with
salt and pepper. Add thyme and set aside one hour or longer to infuse.

Pulse pretzels in a food processor or place in a plastic bag and crush
with a rolling pin to make coarse crumbs. Mix in a bowl with cheese.
Lightly beat eggs, whisk in mustard and remaining ale and stir this
mixture into pretzel crumbs and cheese. Form mixture into 18 dumplings
about the size of Ping-Pong balls, place on a platter and cover until
ready to cook.

About 20 minutes before serving, fill a 3-quart saucepan halfway with
water and bring to a boil. Drop dumplings into water and simmer gently 15
minutes. While dumplings simmer, remove thyme from soup. Reheat soup.

Ladle soup into bowls. Use a slotted spoon to transfer 3 to 4 dumplings
to each bowl. Serve, with additional grated cheese on the side.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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