French onion soup with grilled cheese baguette
Ingredients
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 70g butter
• 6 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 7 sprigs thyme
• 1 celery heart, finely sliced
• 6 large Spanish red onions, cut into 1cm-thick slices
• 6 brown onions, cut into 1cm-thick slices
• 1.5L beef stock
• 100ml dry sherry
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to season
• 200g Gruyère, sliced
• 1 baguette, cut into thick slices
• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves picked, very finely chopped
Method
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Combine oil, butter, garlic, thyme, celery, ½ the Spanish onion and ½ the brown onion in a large saucepan over a low heat. Cook slowly for about 45 minutes or until mixture caramelises.
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Add remaining onion to pan and cook for a further 20 minutes. Stir in stock and simmer gently for another 20 minutes. Stir in sherry and season with salt and pepper.
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Preheat grill to medium. Put 1 slice of cheese on each bread slice. Grill until bread is toasted and cheese is golden and bubbling.
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Ladle soup into bowls. Top with 1 or 2 cheese-covered bread slices. Sprinkle parsley over bread and serve.
