French Onion Soup
A pot of onions, cooked slowly until they taste like something else entirely, under a raft of melted Gruyère.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 30 min
- Written
Method
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Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
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Add the onions and toss to coat, then cook, stirring occasionally, until they’ve wilted and reduced by about half, 15 minutes.
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Stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are deeply browned and jammy, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Pour in the sherry, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and let it cook off.
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Add the stock, bay leaves, and thyme, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
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Discard the bay leaves and thyme, then season with salt and pepper.
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Ladle into oven-safe bowls, top with toasted baguette and a heavy layer of Gruyère, and broil until the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots.
Notes
The whole recipe is the hour you spend not rushing the onions. High heat gets you soft onions, not brown ones — keep it at medium-low and let them sit long enough to actually caramelize, scraping the pot occasionally so nothing catches. If they start sticking before they’ve colored, that’s the pan running dry, not the onions being done.
No sherry on hand, dry white wine works the same way. Serve it as the meal with a green salad on the side — a bowl this rich doesn’t need much else.