Forget Onion Soup: Discover Picardy’s Ultimate Fall Warmer!

The French onion soup, a true pillar of French culinary art, has long since evolved from its peasant roots to become a staple on the menus of the most sophisticated bistros in Paris. Originally simple and rustic, it was made with readily available ingredients: primarily water or broth, perhaps enhanced with stale bread. Now adorned with croutons and grated cheese, it ranks among the finer delicacies…

French onion soup does more than just ward off the autumn cold. It invigorates! In ancient times, the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks all praised the medicinal qualities of the so-called Allium cepa for treating respiratory ailments, detoxifying the body, aiding digestion, and boosting weakened systems. Later, it became the go-to drink for Parisians after a night out, who would flock to brasseries following evenings at theaters and cabarets to recover with a steaming bowl.

Meanwhile, just a short distance away, the workers and laborers of Picardy warmed themselves with a completely different specialty, also finely crafted with onions. Its name? “Caghuse”. This refers to a baked pork wheel, traditionally cooked in an earthenware dish, which is notable for containing as many, if not more, alliums than meat. This dish becomes particularly appealing as the autumn evenings grow cooler, and it’s also very easy to prepare…

Peel and cut 6 large onions into quarters. Place two-thirds of them at the bottom of a Dutch oven with 100 g of butter, then cover with a whole pork wheel (about 1.2 kg) and brown everything over the fire. Season with salt and pepper. Once the meat is well-colored, add 1 kg of peeled and sliced potatoes along with the remaining onions. In a separate saucepan, bring 15 cl of apple cider vinegar to a boil, then pour it into the Dutch oven along with an equal amount of cider.

Adjust the seasoning and if desired, add some prunes and a few bay leaves. Finish cooking in the oven, covered, at 190°C for about 1 hour, basting the dish occasionally. The only challenge with this recipe? Holding back the tears…