French onion soup

Ingredients

• 1kg onions – preferably large Spanish onions
• 30g butter
• 1 heaped tbsp flour
• 250ml dry white wine
• 1½ litres of beef, chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of thyme
• Wine vinegar, to taste (optional)
• Brown sugar, to taste (optional)
• Baguette, cut into 12 thin slices
• 150g gruyere or similar cheese, grated

Method

Slice the onions finely – don’t worry if you have a mountain, they will collapse and reduce once you begin to cook them. Melt the butter in a large sauté or frying pan and add the onions, along with a good pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper.

Cook the onion gently, stirring regularly, for anything between 45 mins and 1 hour (larger quantities will take a little longer). The onions will collapse and become almost creamy – the idea is to caramelise but never burn them. The colour and savoury depth of the soup is all down to patience here, so do allow the flesh to become a really deep gold.

Add the flour to the pan and stir it into the onions, cooking it for 2 mins. Slowly pour in the wine, stirring all the time, and allow the pan to come up to the boil. Tip in the stock – I love the richness of a good beef stock, but that’s up to you. Add the herbs and simmer for about 15 mins. Balance the soup with salt, pepper, vinegar and even a little sugar if needed.

Place slices of baguette on an oven tray and top with the grated cheese. Grill the croutons for 2 mins, until the cheese is melting and bubbly. Serve the hot soup in bowls, topped with a pair of croutons.