French Onion Soup

Method

1. Melt the 50 g butter with the 15 ml olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan or casserole dish over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions, toss to coat in the fat, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes until the onions have slumped and softened.

   10 mins

2. Remove the lid and sprinkle in the 8 g of sugar. Cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelised. The onions should turn a rich amber-brown, become jammy and full of sweet-savoury flavour, and feel completely soft when pinched. Keep a close eye on the heat during the final 10–15 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan so they do not burn.

   45 mins

3. Stir in the thinly sliced garlic for the final 2 to 3 minutes of the onions' caramelisation time. Sprinkle the 30 g plain flour evenly over the onions and stir well for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

   5 mins

4. Increase the heat slightly and stir continuously as you gradually pour in the 250 ml dry white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve all the caramelised deposits. Slowly stir in the 1 litre of hot beef stock. Partially cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened and concentrated. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

   20 mins

5. Preheat your overhead grill to high. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking tray and lightly toast them on both sides until crisp so they do not disintegrate immediately when placed on the soup.

   3 mins

6. Ladle the piping hot soup into 4 heatproof oven-safe bowls placed on a sturdy baking tray. Float one or two slices of toasted baguette on top of each bowl and pile the grated Gruyère generously over the bread and right up to the edges of the bowl. Place under the hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden-brown.

   5 mins