French Onion Soup

Yields: 4 main course servings or 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients

• 3 T butter
• 1 T rendered bacon fat
• 5 medium to large onions (2 sweet, 2 yellow, 1 red or any mix)
• 2 shallots
• 4 garlic cloves
• 8 thyme sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c cooking sherry
• 1/2 c brandy
• 32 oz chicken stock, homemade if you have it. The rest of us mortals use store bought- It's fine
• 4 1/2" thick slices rustic french bread cut to fit your soup crocks or bowls
• 8 oz grated gruyere cheese

Instructions

1. Melt butter and bacon fat in large, wide bottom pot
2. Trim the ends of onions and shallots and discard outer layers. Cut in half and then slice into thin (1/8") half moon slices
3. add a layer of onions to the pot, then sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remainder of onions and salt.
4. Cook onions and shallots down until golden brown and caramelized about 45 minutes- stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bit from the bottom of the pot.
5. Add garlic and cook additional 3 minutes.
6. Add brandy and allow to reduce about 10 minutes.
7. Add cooking sherry and white wine and cook until reduced by half- about 15 minutes.
8. Add the chicken stock, thyme bundle and bay leaf
9. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer about 25 minutes.
10. Fish out thyme bundle and bay leaf and discard.
11. Meanwhile distribute about 2 oz of the cheese in the bottom of 4 oven-safe soup crocks
12. Fill crocks with soup.
13. Float bread slice on soup crocks and top with remainder of the cheese.
14. Place crocks on a baking sheet and place under broiler until cheese is melted, bubbly and golden brown.
15. If you don't have oven safe soup crocks, you can toast the cheesy croutons separately on a baking sheet and place on top of pre filled soup bowls.
16. Enjoy!

• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 90 minutes