Serves 4
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
1kg brown onions, peeled & finely sliced
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
300ml white wine
8 sprigs thyme
1L good quality beef broth
6 x 2cm thick slices baguette
1 clove garlic, smashed
2/3 cup aged cheddar, grated
Method
Melt the butter in a large, deep saucepan.
Add the onions and 1 tsp of salt & mix.
Then cover & cook for 30 minutes, stirring often until the onions are soft.
Remove the lid & increase the heat, continuing to cook & stir often, for 10 minutes, until the onions begin to caramelise slightly.
Add the white wine, half the thyme & reduce by half.
Add the beef broth & simmer to reduce by a third & has thickened.
Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Once happy, spoon the soup into 4 soup bowls and place onto a baking tray.
Preheat a grill to 220C.
Either in a toaster or under the grill, toast the bread & then rub with garlic.
Sit one piece in each soup & the rest onto the baking tray.
Top all the bread & soup generously with the cheese & place under the grill to gratinate for approx. 2-3 minutes.
Pull the remaining thyme leaves off the stalk & scatter over the soup & toasts. Serve with a good crack of black pepper.