French Onion Soup Redux

Onion soup is one of my daughter Sarah’s favorite things and so, in self-defense, I needed to come up with a way to make it for dinner more often than Julia Child’s stunning recipe would let me.  As a result, I adapted the recipe to make it a bit quicker.  If you have the time, though, certainly use the original, classic recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. butter
1T .olive oil
4 medium or large yellow onions thinly sliced (about 1 lb. or 1.5 kg)
½ t. salt
½ t. sugar
2 T. flour
3 cups of beef stock (preferably low sodium)
1/2 cup red wine (or dry white can s]be substituted but it will not have the lovely crimson color)
salt and pepper to taste (be careful of salt if the stock is high in sodium)
1 baguette or similar crusty loaf
4 oz. (about 100 grams) of Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 c. of freshly grated parmesan (preferably parmigiana reggiano but domestic parmesan is okay too)

PREPARATION:

1. Melt the butter and the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan with a cover over moderately low heat.
2. Add the sliced onions and stir to coat with the butter. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and very soft.
2. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a deep golden color (10-20 minutes depending on your stove).
3. Lower the heat again and stir in the flour. Continue stirring until it forms a paste with the onions.
4.  Add about 1 cup of the stock or bouillon to the pan stirring with a whisk to prevent prevent lumps. Add the rest of the stock and the wine.
5. Simmer the soup for 20-30 minutes and then season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Slice the baguette and toast lightly. Place the baguette in the bottom of a soup bowl and immediately top with the shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese helping the cheese to melt a bit.
7. Ladle the hot soup over the cheese toasts and sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Allow to sit for a few minutes for the cheese to fully melt.

[If you happen to have a broiler available AND oven proof bowls (most are not), you can reverse this and pour the soup into the bowls, topping with the toast and cheeses and then broil until the cheeses are bubbling and slightly browned.]