French Onion Soup with Molten Cheesy Toast
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Possibly my all-time favourite soup and one of the easiest to make. You do need a good-quality stock and to allow enough time for the natural sugar in the onions to caramelise.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 kilograms large brown onions, peeled and sliced
1cm thick 2 sprigs thyme
sea salt and ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons plain flour
6 cups good quality beef stock or chicken stock for a lighter soup
TO ASSEMBLE
8 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic, peeled
100 grams gruyère cheese, grated
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
EQUIPMENT: 1 heatproof serving bowl or 4 individual soup bowls, warmed.
METHOD
Heat the butter and oil in a large thyme. Season well with salt and pepper. It will look like a mountain of onions but they cook down dramatically. Cover and cook for 10 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for a further 30-40 minutes until a good golden colour, stirring occasionally to prevent them catching on the base of the pot. Combine the garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and brandy and stir into the onions. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2 minutes then add the stock and season. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Preheat the grill to its highest setting.
TO ASSEMBLE: Rub one side of each piece of the toasted bread with the garlic. Place on a baking tray and top with the grated cheese and thyme. Place under the grill until bubbling and molten.
Ladle the hot soup into the serving bowl/s and top with cheesy toasts, serving the rest separately.
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