A French onion soup is true comfort food, and what could be better served as a starter for a romantic Valentine’s day meal. The quantities here are enough to serve 4 as a light lunch or 8 as a starter.
Prep time 45 minutes/Cook time 60 minutes/Makes 4
Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1.35k (3 lb) onions, thinly sliced
sea salt
60ml (1/4 cup) dry white wine
2 tbsp dry sherry
1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
1.5l (6 cups) beef stock
4 thick slices of crusty bread
120g (4 oz) Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
Method:
Melt the butter in a large cast iron casserole (Dutch oven) or heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the onions and season lightly with salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often at first and then only occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and caramelized (60-75 minutes.
Add the white wine and dry sherry to the onions and bring to a boil. Scatter over the flour, stir to combine then cook, stirring frequently, until thickened (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in the beef stock and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
Heat your grill (broil). Place 4 oven-safe bowls on a baking tray and fill with the soup. Top each with a slice of bread (trimming to fit, if necessary) and ¼ of the cheese.
Place under the grill (broiler) and cook until the cheese is golden brown, (1 to 2 minutes).
Serve immediately.
