French Onion Soup

by Rick Stein
from Rick Stein's French Odyssey

An all-time family favourite, Rick Stein's sumptious soup comes up trumps every time...

Servings: 4
Level of difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
60g Butter
1kg Onions , halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp caster sugar
300ml dry white wine
1.5 litres beef stock, browned
bouquet garni, of bay leaves, thyme and parsley stalks
4 x 2.5 cm thick slices French bread
225g Gruyère, or Comté cheese, coarsely grated
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method
1. Heat the butter in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onions, garlic and sugar and cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, for 20-30 minutes until the onions are really soft and well caramelized.

2. Add the wine and leave to simmer rapidly until it has reduced by half.

3. Add the beef stock and bouquet garni, cover and leave the soup to simmer for at least another 30 minutes. Then remove and discard the bouquet garni, and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2. Place the slices of bread onto a baking tray and leave them for 30 minutes to dry out but not get at all brown. Then remove the tray and increase the oven temperature to 220C/gas 7.

5. To serve, place a slice of bread into the bottom of each of 4 deep ovenproof soup bowls and ladle the soup on top, making sure the onions and stock are distributed evenly. Cover the top of the soup thickly with the grated cheese, place the bowls onto a sturdy baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling. You can also place them under a hot grill for 5 minutes if you prefer or are short of time. This soup should be served scalding hot.