French Onion Soup: A Winter's Delight

Ingredients

5 pounds of red Bermuda type onions, sliced as thinly as possible

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup dry sherry

1 cup water

1 quart brown chicken broth

Salt

Pepper

6 slices dense-crumb white bread, remove the crusts and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 cups grated hard cheese such as Gruyère, Gouda or Fontina

Preparation

(Makes 6 cups)

1. In a heavy-bottomed large pot, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir for about 10 minutes, or until they release some of their liquid.

2. Raise the heat to high and cook the onions, stirring often, for about 30 minutes, or until the liquid runs dry and caramalizes on the bottom of the pot.

3. Add the sherry and water, and bring to a boil, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dissolve the browned-on juices, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and toast in the oven, turning them every few minutes, for about 15 minutes, or until browned.

4. Return the soup to a simmer if it has cooled. Put 6 soup crocks on a sheet pan (so the soup doesn't overflow onto your oven floor.) Ladle the broth and onion into the crokcs. Using half of the bread cubes, spread them evenly among the crocks. Top with half of the cheese. Spread the remaining bread cubes on top, and then the rest of the cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until boiling broth starts to drip down the sides of the crocks.

Bon appétit!

Recipe by James Peterson, from his book "COOKING."