french onion soup or...

soup bowls here

... how to make something out of almost nothing.

Excellent cold day fare - very rich and warming. All those alliums will be good for keeping colds at bay too.

French Onion Soup

3 large onions very thinly sliced

1 tsp soft brown sugar

1tbsp plain flour

75 ml brandy

900ml stock

1 bay leaf

To Finish

4 slices of good bread

75 grated gruyère or hard cheese of your choice

Melt the butter in a large pan (add a little oil to stop it burning) over a gentle heat, add the onions and a sprinkling of salt. Cover with a circle of crumpled baking parchment followed by the lid. Cook over a very low heat for 45 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally until the onions are meltingly tender.

Remove the lid and baking parchment and add the sugar. Turn up the heat and cook till golden, stirring.

Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the brandy (I only had whiskey and I just added a slug - I'm sure it wasn't 75mls - you could probably leave it out altogether if you preferred), followed by the stock and bayleaf. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Heat the grill. Divide the soup among 4 heatproof bowls, top each bowl with a slice of bread and a good sprinkling of cheese. Pop the bowls under the grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.