I relish the frugality and bonhomie of a bowl of onion soup. This is slightly richer and thicker than the one in The Kitchen Diaries, possibly for colder weather. I don’t often use flour to thicken a soup but in this case it produces a particularly velvety texture.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4

　　butter – a good thick slice

　　large onions – 3, sliced

　　bay leaves – 2

　　all-purpose flour – 2 tablespoons

　　white wine – 1 cup (250ml)

　　chicken stock – 4 cups (a liter)

　　Madeira – 3 to 4 tablespoons

　　sourdough bread – 8 small slices

　　Gruyère – 2 1/2 ounces (75g), thinly sliced

　　

Step 1

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the sliced onions and the bay leaves, and let them cook, without coloring, over medium heat. You want them to be soft and slightly sticky, which will take a good twenty-five minutes. When they are ready, stir in the flour, cook for a minute or so, then pour in the white wine, followed by the stock. Bring to a boil, season with salt and black pepper, then decrease the heat so that the soup simmers and simmer, with just an occasional stir, for thirty minutes. Add the Madeira and continue simmering for five to ten minutes.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the broiler. Toast the bread on one side, then cover the other side with the sliced Gruyère. Check the soup for seasoning, then spoon into heatproof bowls. Float the slices of bread on top and place under the broiler for a couple of minutes, until the cheese has melted.

　　Tender