Balthazar's (NYC) French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

4 medium yellow onions, peeled, halved through the stem end, and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

4 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

3/4 cup dry white wine

2 quarts chicken stock

1/2 cup port

6 slices of country bread, about 1 inch thick, toasted

2 cups Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated.

Directions:

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the onions and, stirring frequently to prevent burning, sauté until they reach a golden color, approximately 30 minutes. Add the butter, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the white wine, bring to a boil, and reduce the wine by half, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 45 minutes. Preheat the broiler.

Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Swirl the port into the finished soup. Ladle the soup into the 6 ovenproof bowls. Place the toasted bread into the bowls on top of the liquid, and sprinkle 1/3 cup of Gruyere onto each slice. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts to a crispy golden brown.

Although this can be time-consuming, its well worth the effort. You can prepare all ingredients in advance and simply warm the soup and assemble (then broil) just before serving.