the best french onion soup ever

Gregory made the best french onion soup today! It was so good! We don't use a recipe when we make this soup because it is so simple – like classical French cooking ought to be. You simply slowly caramelize a couple pounds of chopped onions (brown them in about a tablespoon of butter and a couple tablespoons of olive oil). As they brown, add a little salt, as this helps them release their water. Add pepper and thyme (we use fresh thyme from the garden). Near the end add a few cloves of minced garlic. When the onions are a nice golden brown, deglaze the pot with the onions still in it with about a cup of white wine, added slowly. Add a splash of sherry, and fill the pot with chicken (or beef) stock. We had made a chicken stock a few weeks ago with the leftover bones of a few roast chickens we had, and then froze it – this came in handy. Simmer the soup for a few hours on low until ready to serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and place a piece of toasted bread and Gruyer or Emmenthal cheese on top and broil for a minute or so until the cheese is browned a little. That's it! For dinner we had the French onion soup, sliced ham & summer sausage, bread, veggies & dip. Yum.I made apple pie and served it with vanilla ice cream for dessert. mmm...