Onion soup

Transform a few ordinary ingredients into something special! In this recipe, chicken pieces are used instead of homemade stock, which leaves you with cooked chicken for another meal.

Serves 4–6 Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour

• 60ml butter

• 15ml olive oil

• 2 chicken thighs

• 8 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced into rings

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 4 sprigs each of thyme and oregano

• 2 bay leaves

• 30ml flour

• 1.5L water

• about 45ml Port

• 1 baguette, sliced

• a large handful of grated Gruyère and/or white Cheddar

1 Melt the butter and oil in a large pot and brown the chicken. Remove the chicken and stir the onions in the aromatic oil until well-coated. Put the lid on and steam slowly for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes so that the onions can slowly but surely caramelise. Keep a close eye on them and stir frequently.

2 Sprinkle with the flour and stir in. Whisk in the water (this prevents lumps), spoon the chicken back into the pot and simmer slowly for about 30–45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the soup is fragrant. Remove the chicken (reserve for another meal). Now taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Port.

3 Arrange the baguette slices on a baking tray and toast under a grill until crispy on both sides. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until the cheese bubbles. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with the cheesy baguette slices. Serve immediately.