French Onion Soup

Melt butter with olive oil in a heavy pot, add onion and salt, cover and cook over medium-low for 15 minutes until soft. Uncover, add sugar and keep cooking, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes more.

Stir in garlic and all purpose flour for 1 minute, pour in dry white wine and scrape up the brown bits, then add beef broth, thyme, bay leaf and black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes and remove the herbs.

Meanwhile, toast bread until dry and golden.

Ladle onion soup into oven-safe bowls on a sheet pan, float a slice of toasted bread on each and pile with gruyere. Broil until bubbling and browned in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. The bowls are very hot.