One of the most comforting and evocative soups you can eat. I just love the smell of the onions softening in butter that fills the kitchen on a cold day.

Ingredients:

• A large knob of salted butter
  
• A dash of olive oil
  
• 1 kg of onions, finely sliced
  
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  
• 2 tbsps of plain flour
  
• ½ a glass of white wine
  
• 1 litre of beef stock
  
• 4 slices of baguette, toasted
  
• 4 tbsps grated gruyère

Method:

In a large, heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter and oil. Add the onions and garlic and stir well, coating them all in the butter and oil. Season well with salt and turn the heat right down, as low as it will go. Leave to soften, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes until the onions are golden and melted. The slower and gentler you cook the onions, the sweeter and more luscious they will be.

Add the flour and stir well, then add the white wine. Reduce the liquid until almost gone and then in with the beef stock. Turn up the heat, bring to the boil and then reduce it to a gentle simmer for about 40 minutes.

Heat the grill and toast the baguette slices. Cover each slice with Gruyère and melt under the grill. Pour the soup into bowls and top each with a slice of bread.