French onion soup

(serves 6-8)

Another meal prepared from camp leftovers. We went a bit overboard on the onions for the sausage sizzle finalé at camp and had a little bit leftover... like 1kg+ of cooked onion! Grace, our EPIC Masterchef did such a great job of caramelising them I couldn't bear to throw it all away...  so upon the great suggestion of someone, i thought i'd give French onion soup another attempt. Last time I attempted something French, Paul had to come to the rescue but this time i think i was able to stand on my own two feet and come up with something half decent...

Prep time: 30 min
Cooking time: 2 hours (on simmer)

Ingredients
2.5 kg raw brown onion
60g butter
4 T plain flour
800mL beef stock
700mL water
200mL white wine (optional)
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
salt

To serve:
1 baguette
4 cloves of garlic
60-100g gruyere cheese
1/4 C parsley, finely chopped

Method
1. Finely slice the onions (use a food processor if you have one handy as this minimises the tears).
2. Caramelise the onions on low-medium heat in a large pot with the butter for 10-15 minutes until they soften and have a nice medium brown colour. Stir regularly to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom. Add in the plain flour to thicken slightly.
NB. You may need 1/4 C water to soften as you sauté the onions.
3. Add in the beef stock, water and white wine and bring to the boil. Add in the bay leaf, nutmeg, thyme and simmer for another 1-2 hours until reduced. Season with salt to taste

So much brown delicious onion goodness leftover! (left)

4. Meanwhile, cut the baguette into thick slices and spread the garlic on each slice and grate the gruyere on top. Place under the grill on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.

5. Serve up the soup and place the bread on top and sprinkle with a bit of chopped parsley.