French Onion Soup

Ingredients

6 tablespoons onion jam

2 bay leaves

2 tsp of butter or 1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ cup of white wine

3 cups of strong stock

2 cups water

2 tsp flour

2 tsp cognac (optional)

Croutons:

Thick slices of bread brushed with olive oil and toasted

Grated cheese

Parsley (optional)

Method:

Sautee the onion jam in the olive oil and warm through. Stir in the flour and when evenly mixed, pour in the wine and stock. Drop your bay leaves in. Leave to simmer gently for upto 40 minutes.  Check for salt.  When the soup has reduced to a nice, hearty consistency, turn off heat and put in a ramekin or oven proof bowl. (You can make this more ‘wintry’ by adding some cognac at this stage.) Break up the toasted bread, cover generously with grated cheese and put in a pre-heated oven or under a hot grill until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.