French Onion Soup
Recipe Courtesy of April Stamm
Serves 4
4 cups yellow onions, sliced thinly
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sherry or dry white wine
4 cups beef stock
1 small bouquet garni (parsley stems, fresh thyme springs, and a bay leaf tied into a bundle with kitchen twine)
8 slices Baguette, 1/2 inch thick
2 cups swiss style cheese like Emmenthaler or Gruyere
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
In a small stockpot or dutch oven heat butter over medium heat. Add the onions and 1 Tablespoon of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Increase the heat to medium high and continue to cook the onions until they caramelize a turn rich brown. When the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onion mixture and stir to evenly coat. Cook for one minute stirring constantly. Deglaze with the sherry or wine and cook until the liquid completely evaporates. Add the stock to the onion mixture, stirring to make sure the onions are not clumping. Add the bouquet garni and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the onions are not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Put the bread slices on a sheet pan in one layer. Toast the bread in the oven until it is brown. Increase oven to its highest temperature or set to broil. Grate the cheese and set aside.
After the soup has simmered, taste it and adjust seasoning. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Fill individual oven proof bowls 3/4 of the way to the top with soup and put the bowls on a sheet pan, top the soup with a piece or two of toasted bread and a thick layer of grated cheese.
Put the sheet pan in the oven and cook until the cheese is completely melted, brown and bubbling.
