French Onion Soup

By Dustin

Ingredients

• 5 sweet Onions
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Dry Red Wine
• 1 10 ounce can Beef Consomme
• 3 1/2 cups Beef Stock
• 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 sprig fresh Thyme
• 1 sprig fresh Rosemary
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 loaf French Bread
• 8 ounce grated Gruyere Cheese
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Cognac

Preparation

Step 1

1. Slice the onions in half and peel outer layers and discard the ends. Finely slice the all the onions.

2. Melt the butter in a 4 quart pan and add the oil.

3. Add a handful of the onion and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Continue to layer all the onion with salt until the pot is full. Do not stir

4. Sweat down the onions for 15 minutes.

5. Stir occasionally until onions are dark rich brown and reduced to approximately 2 cups for 45 minutes.

6. Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pot. Cook for 10 minutes at 250° F to reduce the wine.

7. With a piece of kitchen twine, bundle the Thyme, rosemary and Bay Leaf together to form a bouquet garni.

8. Reduce heat to 215° F. Add Beef consomme, beef stock and apple cider vinegar to the pot and bouquet garni and simmer for 30 minutes.

9. Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.

10.Cut slices of french bread. Lay the slices down and cut in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Butter the bread and place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute.

11. Remove bouquet garni from the soup.

12. Season soup mixture with salt, pepper and cognac. Add salt a little at a time and taste.

13. ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.