French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup
1 hr 15 min, Dutch oven, serves 4
Ingredients
Soup onions 1kg butter 50g olive oil 1 tbsp garlic 3 cloves plain flour 1 tbsp white wine 150ml beef stock 1.2L bay leaves 2 fresh thyme few sprigs salt and pepper to taste Topping baguette 1/2 gruyère 150g
The caramelising is the whole dish, it takes patience not skill. Don’t rush it or the soup will be pale and thin.
A pinch of sugar with the onions speeds up the caramelising, cutting it to about 25 minutes.
Gruyère is a Swiss cheese. Any Swiss cheese works in a pinch. A splash of brandy with the wine adds depth.
Recipe
1. Halve and thinly slice the onions.
2. Melt the butter with the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 35/45 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown and jammy. This is the key step.
3. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute more.
4. Pour in the wine, scraping the base of the pot, and let it bubble for 2 minutes.
5. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme. Simmer for 20/30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Toast slices of baguette and rub each one with a cut garlic clove while still warm.
7. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls, float a slice or two of toast on each and pile with grated gruyère.
8. Grill until the cheese is melted, bubbling and golden.
For a richer top, spread the baguette with garlic butter before toasting instead of rubbing with raw garlic.
No oven-safe bowls: grill the cheese on the toast separately, then float on top.