Jacques Pepin's Onion Soup Gratinee

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 onions, sliced
• 7 cups unsalted chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 16 slices baguette
• 10 ounces gruyere, grated on the large hole side of a box grater (or comte or emmenthaler)

Recipe

• 1 melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions over medium high heat for about eight minutes or until they are lightly browned.
• 2 add stock, salt and pepper (if your stock is salted, do not add additional salt) and boil gently for about 15 minutes.
• 3 in the meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 400°f.
• 4 toast the baguette slices in the oven.
• 5 place one or two slices of baguette in the bottom of each of four ovenproof crocks.
• 6 add 1/4 cup of grated cheese to each crock and place the crocks on a cookie sheet.
• 7 ladle the onion and stock mixture into the crocks.
• 8 top with the remaining grated cheese, pressing some of the cheese against the lip of each crock.
• 9 bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until cheese is beautifully browned.
• 10 in the last few moments, place the remaining baguette slices in the oven to warm.
• 11 serve the soup immediately with the toasted slices of baguette.