and ends up baked in individual copper au gratin dishes, mmmm....
November 5th Update: Chef Christopher has given me permission to pass on the recipe for "Vegetarian French Onion Soup Von Awesome"
Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large heavy-based saucepan.
Add 6 large onions that have been finely sliced (be prepared for some tears as that's a lot of oniony aroma). Cook over low heat for at least one hour (it's a lot of stirring and waiting, but it's worth it!) until the oinons are deep golden brown and begin to caramelize.
Add 2 to 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour. Stir continuously for 2 minutes to fully coat the onions.
Gradually blend in 8 cups of vegetable stock (you can use vegetable or onion stock cubes) and 1 cup of white wine (can be omitted) and bring to a boil. Add one bay leaf , 2 springs of thyme, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 1/2 an hour.
Toast slices of stale bread (preferably French bread or baguette, not sourdough).
Place one slice of bread on top of each individual oven-proof bowl of onion soup.
Top with 1/8 cup grated Gruyère cheese (Asiago can work nicely too) and broil until the cheese melts and turns light golden brown (keep a close eye on it, there's a very fine line between browned and burnt, and you don't want to ruin the soup at the final step)
Serve immediately! The house now heart-warmingly smells of caramelized onions and patience, your guests will be salivating. Enjoy the taste of your efforts and the complements from the lucky recipients.
