RECIPE OF THE WEEK | French onion soup

After what seemed like an endless summer we were plunged into icy weather overnight, which has meant scrabbling for warmth and turning to comforting food instead of salads.

There's nothing like a delicious soup to feed the heart and soul.

This old French classic is simple to make using ingredients at hand. It packs a powerhouse of flavour, and when finished off with a topping of croutons with melted cheese it is mmm.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Serves 4-6

50g butter

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

1kg onions, halved and thinly sliced

5ml (1 tsp) sugar

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

30ml (2 tbsp) flour

350ml dry white wine

1¼ litres hot, strong-flavoured beef stock

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

½ loaf French bread or any white bread cut into 2cm slices

140g strong flavoured cheese, finely grated

Method:

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry with the lid on for 10 minutes until just soft.
2. Lower the heat, sprinkle in the sugar, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes until caramelised, rich and very tender. The onions should be golden, full of flavour and soft when pinched between your fingers. Take care towards the end of cooking that they do not burn.
3. Add the garlic in the final few minutes of the onions’ cooking time, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
4. Increase the heat and keep stirring as you gradually add the wine, followed by the hot stock. Cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste to see if it needs a bit of salt and pepper as your beef stock will be salty, which may be enough.
5. When ready to serve, turn on the grill and toast the bread on a baking sheet.
6. Ladle the soup into heatproof bowls. Put a slice of toast on top of each bowl of soup and pile on the cheese. Place the bowls on the baking sheet and grill until the cheese has melted.
7. Serve immediately.