French Onion Soup

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1. 1Step 1: Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add your onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Stir to coat the onions in the butter and olive oil, turn the heat to low and put a lid on the pan. Leave to cook down for 30 minutes or so, checking and stirring often to ensure the onions aren’t catching on the bottom of the pan.
2. 2Step 2: The onions will cook down considerably, softening almost to a paste and will turn a light golden colour. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir through. Cook for a further 15 minutes with the lid off the pan to deepen the colour of the onions, they should turn a rich golden brown. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat to speed things up or you risk burning your onions. It may take a little longer than 15 minutes depending on the onions and on the day.
3. 3Step 3: Add a generous splash of brandy or Armagnac and let it bubble away while you stir the onions, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any colour and sticky bits. Add the stock and stir again. Taste and season with salt and pepper and fish out the thyme and bay leaf. Leave to bubble for 10 minutes.
4. 4Step 4: Pre-heat your grill to its highest setting. Divide the soup between four bowls, tear the baguette into chunks and place a handful into the top of each bowl. Grate over a generous amount of comté using a fine grater. Put the bowls on a sturdy baking sheet and slide under the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbling, usually about 3-5 minutes – keep an eye on it. Serve immediately while the cheese is still bubbling – but take your time to eat it because it will be very hot.