French Onion Soup

As made outside Les Halles, Paris, 1890.

Ingredients

• 50g Butter.
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil.
• 1 Kg Onions, sliced as thinly as possible.
• 1 Tsp Sugar.
• Garlic cloves to taste (Three?).
• 250ml Dry white wine.
• 1.3 Ltr Beef Stock. (*)
• Toasted Bread slices.
• Grated cheese of choice.

* Baxter's Beef Consomme is excellent or Knorr Dark Beef Stock jellies.

Method

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in heavy saucepan.
2. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 mins until soft.
3. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for further 20 minutes until caramalised.
4. The darker the caramelisation at this point the better. Soyez courageux, mon ami.
5. Stir to prevent sticking but not too much or the onions will break down.
6. Add the crushed garlic cloves.
7. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you add the wine and then the beef stock.
8. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Put the cheese onto the bread slices and put a slice in each bowl.
10. Add the soup to the bowls and serve.
11. PS. A glug of Brandy at the simmer stage makes this special.