FRENCH ONION SOUP FROM EARLS, THE COOKBOOK

Chef Larry Stewart of The Hardware Grill spent 10 years at Earls in Edmonton before opening his own restaurant in 1996. This is one of the recipes Stewart invented for the chain. Use any combination of cheese you like for the topping. Toasting the bread well allows maximum absorption once placed on the soup. A mushroom-heavy vegetable stock can also be used to make this a vegetarian dish.

Ingredients: 3 oz (85g or ⅓ cup/80 mL) butter 2.5 pounds (1.13 kilograms) thinly sliced onions 1 tsp (5 mL) ground black pepper 1 tsp (5 mL) fine salt 1 tbsp (5 mL) finely chopped fresh thyme ½ tsp (2.5 mL) sugar ½ tsp (2.5 mL) dried oregano pinch dried tarragon 1 bay leaf ⅓ cup (80 mL) sherry 10 cups (2.5 L) beef stock 3 cups (750 mL) shredded Swiss cheese (Gruyere or Emmentaler) 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely grated Parmesan cheese 4 to 6 slices french bread (1 inch/2.2 cm thick) 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, black pepper, salt, thyme, sugar, oregano, tarragon and bay leaf into the pot. Stir well so that all ingredients get a light coating of butter.

2. Turn the heat to low and cover, allowing the onions to soften completely, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook over low heat for approximately 2 hours, stirring frequently. The onions should be the colour and consistency of molasses.

3. Deglaze the pot with sherry, scraping up all the onions from the bottom of the pot. Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for a further 30 minutes or until the stock has reduced by 30 per cent and is slightly thickened. Remove the bay leaf.

4. Combine the shredded Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese in a bowl until evenly distributed. Brush each side of the French bread with some olive oil then place on a rimmed bake tray. Toast for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Flip over to the other side and toast for a further 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven.

5. Ladle the soup into oven-safe serving bowls. Place 1 slice of toast over each serving of soup. Top the toast with a thick layer of cheese, distributing right to the edges of the soup bowls.

6. Place into the oven for 15 minutes, then broil for approximately 1-2 minutes until the cheese turns golden brown. Watch this step closely as the strength of each broiler varies. As soon as the cheese begins to turn golden, remove it from the heat.

7. Allow the cheese to cool slightly. Serve.