SERVES 6
PREP TIME 30 MINUTES
COOKING TIME 1 ½ HOURS
Ingredients
- 1 mini baguette, cut into 2.5cm thick slices
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 50g butter
- 7 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp sugar
- 60ml brandy
- 2L Beef Stock
- 150ml white wine
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 150g Gruyere, grated
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, to garnish
Method
In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and garlic. Spread liberally over bread and bake in a hot oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until crispy and crunchy. Set croutons aside to cool.
In a heavy-based saucepan, melt the oil and butter together over a high heat. When hot, add the onions, garlic and sugar, stirring constantly until the edges of the onions turn brown, approximately 8 minutes.
Reduce the heat and keep cooking very slowly for about 30 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with 40mls of the brandy and pour in stock and wine. Season with salt and pepper and continue stirring with a wooden spoon, scraping the base of the pan.
Once the soup reaches a simmer, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook very gently, uncovered, for approximately 45 minutes. Add the remaining brandy and cook for another 15 minutes.
After adding the brandy, warm soup bowls in a low oven and pre-heat the grill to its highest setting.
Once the bowls are warm, ladle in the hot soup and top with croutons. Sprinkle a thick layer of Gruyere over the croutons and place bowls under the grill. Cook until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
To serve
Sprinkle soup with parsley and serve immediately, taking care with the hot bowls.
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