French Onion Soup

From the New York Times pamphlet "Soups".

French Onion Soup

Prep: 10 Mins. Cook: 1 Hr. 20 Mins. Total Time 1 Hr. 30 Mins. Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. Butter
3 to 4 Large Yellow Onions - 3 lbs.
3/4 tsp. salt
2 qt. beef stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp. dry sherry
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
8 -12 1/2 inches slices of French Bread
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

1. Peel the onions, cut them in half, and then into 1/4 inch slices.

2. Melt butter in a heavy Dutch oven. Add onions and 1/2 tsp. of salt, cover, and let onions soften for about 5 minutes.

3. After onions soften, remove cover, over medium heat, stir occasionally, lowering heat if onions begin to stick, allow onions to caramelize until golden brown. N.B. This is a long process. Do not rush it, it may take up 60 minutes!

4. As onions are caramelizing, warm the beef broth over low heat.

5. Once onions are fully caramelized, add the wine and sherry, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in flour and allow to thicken for a minute or two.

6. Slowly add warmed broth, stirring constantly. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Taste to adjust salt and pepper.

You can Stop Here if you are prepping ahead of the meal. Allow the soup to cool before refrigerating.

Serving:

Heat the broiler. Arrange individual ovenproof casserole dishes on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into casserole dishes. Cover with bread slices. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Broil for a minute or two, until cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately.

Notes: You can use almost any cheese; we used slices of mozzarella. Any soft cheese works well. The soup can be frozen at Step 6 for up to two months, then thawed, reheated, and prepared as directed under Serving.