Yield: 8 servings
3lbs onions
1 stick butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 bay leaves
64 oz beef stock
½ c. sherry
½ white wine
2Tbl chopped fresh thyme
8oz gruyere cheese, shredded
1 loaf crusty bread, cubed
Peel, cut in half and thinly slice the onions.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic, tossing to coat in butter.
Cook slowly…. be patient…. don’t rush this step! Slowly cook the onions until they begin to deep in color to a light amber, stirring often.
When the onions cook down by half and are tender and deepening in color, remove from heat and add in the sherry and wine, stirring to combine. Return to medium heat.
Add in beef stock and bay leaves, cook on a low simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat broiler to high. Fill heat-safe soup crocks with the soup, top with bread cubes, then cheese. Put under broiler until cheese is melted, starting to brown and bread is crisping. All broilers work differently, keep your eye on the oven because your crocks will go from perfectly toasted to burnt in a flash.
ProTip: I’ve been cooking with the same bottle of sherry for years. I don’t drink it but I know that twice a year when I want to make this soup, the sherry is sitting on my bar. Stocking your bar is just like stocking your pantry. You always have flour, sugar, baking soda and the sort in your house, right? The same theory applies to alcohol to cook with: a stash or sherry, vodka, white and red wine is nice to have on hand to follow a new recipe you might come across or maybe jazz up a boring classic
