SERVES 4-6

55 g | 2 oz butter
450 g | 1 lb onions, sliced
½ clove of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon plain flour
1.1 litres | 2 pints good stock, preferably brown
salt and freshly ground black pepper
55 g | 2 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4-6 slices of French bread

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan and slowly cook the onions: this should take at least 1 hour and the onions should become meltingly soft and greatly reduced in quantity. Cook until they are evenly golden-brown all over and transparent. Add the garlic after 45 minutes.
2. Stir the flour and cook until golden brown.
3. Add the stock and stir until boiling. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 deg C | 400 deg F | gas mark 6.
5. Place the soup into an ovenproof tureen. Mix the Gruyère cheese with the mustard and pepper. Spread this on bread slices and place on top of soup. Put the soup (uncovered) in the oven until well browned and bubbling

WINE: Light Red

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Excerpt from Leiths Cookery Bible

[Leith, P., and Waldegrave, C., (2003), Leiths Cookery Bible, 3rd edition, Bloomburys, UK]