French Onion Soup

I have found that the key to that perfectly melted top is to make sure the mouth of your bowl and the piece of bread you use are roughly the same size.  That's why French Onion Soup has bowls of the same name - a narrow mouth.  You can also use little ramekins - they are the perfect size for a starter course and they have a smaller mouth than a regular-sized bowl.

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 sweet onions, sliced lengthwise (top to bottom)
• 4 yellow onions, sliced lengthwise
• 2 Tbsp. Calvados
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as chardonnay
• 8 cups beef broth
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
• 2 bay leaves
• a few springs of thyme
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Gruyere
• 4-6 slices crusty bread

Serves 4 - 6
Cook time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Heat butter and olive oil in a medium to large pot over low heat; when butter is melted add onions.  Cook onions about 45 minutes or until they are all brown and caramelized.  Deglaze with Calvados, allow a minute or two for alcohol to cook off and then add the wine; again allow the alcohol to cook off.  Once there are no longer alcohol fumes coming from the pot, add the remaining ingredients.  This needs to cook, covered, for another 30 minutes minimum.
After at least 30 minutes of cooking, ladle soup into bowls, top with bread and cheese and broil until melted.