Dean shares his recipe for French Onion Soup

Dean shares his recipe for French Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 2 quarts (8 cups) beef stock
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
• French bread cut into 8 to 12 1/2-inch slices or packaged seasoned croutons
• 1 ½ cups grated Gruyère cheese.  
• 1 can French fried onions for garnish. 

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir and cover, letting onions soften for 5 minutes.

Remove lid and let onions caramelize until golden brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat if onions are browning too quickly. The caramelization process may take 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm broth in a saucepan over low heat.

Once onions are caramelized, add wine and sherry to the pot and allow mixture to come to boil. Stir in flour and let thicken for a minute or two.  Slowly add warm broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper to the onion mixture and boil uncovered for 10 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the broiler.  Arrange individual ovenproof casseroles on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into casseroles, and cover top with bread slices.

Sprinkle each casserole generously with Gruyere. Broil for a minute or two, watching carefully, until cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately.  Or toast the bread with the shredded cheese on top and add to the top of a bowl of soup.   Or…sprinkle the seasoned croutons on top of the soup, sprinkle with the shredded cheese and serve.  Garnish with crumbled French fried onions.