French Onion Soup

A rich, sweet, onion soup, that has a taste like nothing else I know. Best served with mini cheese on toasts for a tangy punch against the silky smooth broth. Serves 4 Prepare 20 minutes Cook 1 hour 2 litres vegetable stock 100 grams butter 1 kilogram large onions, peeled

and thinly sliced 6 garlic cloves, crushed 250ml red wine 50ml sherry vinegar 50 grams plain flour 8 slices French baguette 250 grams packed cups grated

strong Cheddar cheese table salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to season Pour the stock into a saucepan and set over a high heat. Simmer until it is reduced by half to intensify the flavour. Melt the butter in a separate large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkling 2 teaspoons of table salt over them and stirring to combine. Cook until the onions become glassy and are just starting to caramelise and catch on the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed garlic, then the wine and vinegar, and continue to cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are reduced and the bottom remains clean when the stirring spoon is dragged across it. Sprinkle the flour over the cooked onions and garlic and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring to a low simmer. Leave to simmer on a very low heat for about 30 minutes before tasting; add a pinch or two of table salt, if needed. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lay the baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for five minutes until they are starting to crisp and brown. Sprinkle about 150 grams of the cheese over them and return to the oven for another five minutes to melt the cheese to a golden colour. Put a little cheese in the base of four large serving bowls, then ladle the onion soup over the top. Place two cheesy toasts on top of each portion straight from the oven and serve sprinkled with black pepper.