Derek Ratcliffe 
Literally - the very best french soup you have ever had - double stamped it, no erasies or takebacksies, touch blue made it true
Half and slice as many onions as it takes to fill your biggest pot, add 2 good pinches of salt and olive oil
Roast in 400 degree oven with a lid ½ ajar for about 3 hours – check every hour to make sure nothing is burning – the objective is to evaporate the liquid in the onions, slowly brown them into a fond at the bottom of the pot – don’t burn them – it will ruin the soup
Once you have a layer of fond or the onions are cooked down and are brownish – its time to move to the stove – PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR REALLY HOT POT
On medium heat on the stove continue to cook the onions – now that you’re on the stove the objective is to get the onions a deep molasses colour – the only way to do that is slowly cook them down until the onions are stuck to the bottom (the fond) – add 125ml water and loosen up the fond – repeat this stage until the onions are very very brown – but not burnt – probably about 4 times
Get a final layer of fond but use the sherry this time and loosen it up so that the bottom of the pan is free from all the stuck on onions.
Once the sherry cooks out add the stock, water, thyme and simmer for 1 hour
Remove thyme, taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary
To serve - after one full day of rest in the fridge
Slice the baguette into 1-2 cm rounds you’ll need 2 per bowl. Toast in oven to dry them out – if there’s some colour that’s fine but you’re mostly drying the bread out. Once the bread is dry rub with garlic. Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls, top with the dry garlic rubbed bread add a bunch of gruyere to the top of the bowl and broil until melted and the cheese is a little brown.
Ingredients
Directions
Half and slice as many onions as it takes to fill your biggest pot, add 2 good pinches of salt and olive oil
Roast in 400 degree oven with a lid ½ ajar for about 3 hours – check every hour to make sure nothing is burning – the objective is to evaporate the liquid in the onions, slowly brown them into a fond at the bottom of the pot – don’t burn them – it will ruin the soup
Once you have a layer of fond or the onions are cooked down and are brownish – its time to move to the stove – PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR REALLY HOT POT
On medium heat on the stove continue to cook the onions – now that you’re on the stove the objective is to get the onions a deep molasses colour – the only way to do that is slowly cook them down until the onions are stuck to the bottom (the fond) – add 125ml water and loosen up the fond – repeat this stage until the onions are very very brown – but not burnt – probably about 4 times
Get a final layer of fond but use the sherry this time and loosen it up so that the bottom of the pan is free from all the stuck on onions.
Once the sherry cooks out add the stock, water, thyme and simmer for 1 hour
Remove thyme, taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary
To serve - after one full day of rest in the fridge
Slice the baguette into 1-2 cm rounds you’ll need 2 per bowl. Toast in oven to dry them out – if there’s some colour that’s fine but you’re mostly drying the bread out. Once the bread is dry rub with garlic. Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls, top with the dry garlic rubbed bread add a bunch of gruyere to the top of the bowl and broil until melted and the cheese is a little brown.
