French Onion Soup

Ingredients

1kg White Onions

75g Butter

250g Comte cheese

4 Cloves Garlic

Thyme And Bay Leaves – Bouquet Garni

Bouillon Paste

Maggie Arome

Salt & Pepper

600ml Beef stock

Dash of Cognac!

Bread – Baguette or similar

Other ingredients you can add to ramp the favour up even more!

Dash white wine, a tablespoon of yeast extract like Marmite or Vegemite

Method

Thinly slice your onions and dice your garlic.

Get a medium heavy based pan onto a low heat add your butter.

When the butter sizzles add your onions – stir and make sure they are coated in butter.

Add in a good dash of salt and stir again before adding onto the top the Bouquet Garni.

(if you keep the string on the Bouquet Garni long, you can tie it to the side of the pan)

Leave on a low heat checking and stirring occasionally

after 20 mins add the garlic and stir again…

Low and slow is the best with this recipe!

Keep the onions and garlic still on low for another 20-25 minutes.

You want to sweat them down completely and for them to have caramelised.

 Keep checking and stirring occasionally.

Once caramelised, remove the Bouquet Garni add a few drops off the Maggie Arome seasoning, then the 600ml stock and a good sprinkling of beef bouillon powder.

Make sure it is well crumbled and stirred, or it will be lumpy!

Slice some baguette and grill it on both sides to make a crouton top with some grated comte and melt under the grill – leave to cool.

Increase the heat and let the soup start to reduce down – the more reduced the thicker the soup and you will not have to add flour or corn starch to thicken.

Add a dash of cognac and season with pepper.

Serve into bowls, add the crutons, top with any extra comte and return to the grill for a few moments to melt the cheese before placing the bowls onto plates and serving.