French Onion Soup

                                                   6 portions

Ingredients:

    1/4-cup butter
    6 Yellow onions, thinly sliced (no finger allowed in the soup)
    2 teaspoon white sugar
    2-tablespoon all-purpose flour
    3 1/2 cups water
    1/2 cup dry red wine
    16 ounce of a good can beef broth
    Fresh or dry thyme
    1 bay leaf
    ½ French baguette (12 slices)
    12 ounces Swiss cheese (slice or grated)

Procedure:

• Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan. Stir in sugar. Cook onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Stir in flour until well blended with the onions and pan juices. Add water, wine, and beef broth and thyme and bay leaf; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover soup, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cut 12 one inch thick slices of bread from the loaf. Toast the bread slices just until browned.Reserve the remaining bread to serve with the soup. Remove the bay leaf, if you can.
• Ladle soup into four 12 ounce oven-safe bowls. Place 2 slices toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl. Fold Swiss cheese slices or grated, and fit onto toasted bread slices. Don’t be shy, put a lot of cheese. Place soup bowls on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or just until cheese is melted and golden brown.