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–+ servings

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Scotty Boxa

French Onion Soup (Done Right, With the Cheese Crust)

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French onion soup with a proper cheese-and-bread crust. Caramelised onions cooked low and slow for an hour, deep beef broth, melted Gruyere on top. Done right.

Ingredients

  • 6 large brown onions, thinly sliced about 1.2kg total
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or sherry 125 ml
  • 1.5 L beef stock, hot
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Topping
  • 4 slices baguette, toasted about 2cm thick
  • 200 g Gruyere cheese, grated or comté

Method
 

Method
  1. Melt butter with olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, sugar, and salt. Stir to coat.
  2. Cook the onions slowly, stirring every 5-7 minutes. After about 20 minutes they'll be soft and translucent. After 45-60 minutes they'll be deeply golden brown and jam-like. Don't rush this step.
  3. Add minced garlic. Stir 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot to lift any caramelised bits. Cook 2-3 minutes until the wine reduces.
  5. Add hot beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, and Worcestershire. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
  6. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Fish out the herbs.
  7. Preheat your grill (broiler) on high. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls. Float a slice of toasted baguette on top of each. Cover generously with grated Gruyere.
  8. Place bowls on a tray under the grill. Grill 2-3 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Serve immediately while everything is bubbling.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal

Notes

The onion stage is everything. Don't try to caramelise onions at high heat. They burn before they brown. Low and slow, 45-60 minutes minimum, stirring occasionally. They should reduce to about a third of their original volume and be the colour of dark caramel.
Gruyere alternatives. Comté is even better but harder to find. A good Swiss or a sharp cheddar mixed with parmesan also works.
Bowls. Ovenproof. The grill step requires it. Standard ceramic mugs or restaurant-grade onion soup bowls both work.

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