French onion soup is pretty basic. Not many ingredients and not much variation from the 18th century version. So what is the difference between a good French onion soup and great French onion soup? Well if you have been tuning in you know the answer resides in the beef stock.

Since the stock and the onions are very prominent in the recipe, the quality of both will greatly influence the outcome. That’s why I encourage you to start making your stocks at home and freeze them for just such a recipe. You can still make this soup with store bought stock. It will still be tasty just not as memorable. Oh yeah, you will need about 8 ramekins as well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 8 cups beef stock (homemade recipe found here)
• 2 cups dry white wine
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 baguette, cut 1/2 inch thick
• 1 lb gruyere cheese, shredded

PREPARATION:

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cover and cook until translucent, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium high, add the sugar, salt and pepper and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, uncovered or until the onions are very soft and golden brown. You will need to stir them often to prevent charring.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle the flour in and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups of the stock and stir. Now add the wine and the remaining stock and simmer for about 30 minutes. Adjust taste with salt and pepper if necessary.

3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter both sides of the baguette slices, slightly toast them in the oven on a baking sheet and then place one slice in the bottom of each ramekin. Ladle in the soup and top each ramekin with a thick layer of the shredded cheese. Set ramekins on baking sheets and bake for10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Oui Oui!

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