French onion soup

Every time I make French onion soup, I wonder how these simple ingredients can turn into food so sophisticated. The way onions change in 30 minutes from pungent and aggressive creatures to something so sweet and mellow. The way the food builds up, layer by layer, delivering such an incredible result. So warming, so tempting, and so filling. Do use a good wine. The same one you will continue to enjoy later. And the same goes for cheese too - a good and full bodied is the one we are looking for. Gruyère is the best and Comté my second favourite, or a mixture of both or even adding a bit of Emmental. 

50 g butter
30 ml mild extra virgin olive oil
1 kg onions, peeled and thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
sea salt to taste
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
10 thyme sprigs
1 bay leave
200 ml dry full-bodied white wine
1 l vegetable or beef stock
freshly grated nutmeg
freshly ground pepper to taste

to top:
4 slices of fresh bread (sourdough)
160 g grated cheese (Gruyère, Emmental, Comté)

In a pot, add butter and oil and warm. Add onions, garlic, and salt and sauté on medium heat, mixing from time to time, for around 25 mins, until they are soft, but not brown. 

Add flour and mix in. Add thyme, bay, wine, and stock. Mix, turn up the heat medium-high, and simmer slowly for 25 mins.

Heat the oven to 210°. Pour soup in soup bowls and top with bread and cheese. Place in the oven, closer to the top, until the cheese has melted. Take out, sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper, and serve.