AUTHENTIC SOUPE À L’OIGNON GRATINEÉ (FRENCH ONION SOUP)

Steps:

• Grate the cheese and put it in the refrigerator in a small bowl. Get out your oven-safe bowls and set them on a cookie sheet. Evenly slice the onions into slices, and then cut the slices in half. Separate the segments with your hands. Put the butter in the pan and turn up the heat to high. Once the butter has been melted, add the onions (use a large pot). Turn the heat down to medium. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/8 of a teaspoon) Add about 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and half of the Thyme leaves to the pan. Continue to stir often (not continuously, but often), until the onions resemble a dark brownish color. Add wine and simmer for a few seconds. Add the beef stock and 1 more teaspoon fresh pepper. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes or so. Taste the soup and add wine and beef stock as needed. Taste again and add salt if needed; it should have a balanced flavor. While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the cookie sheet with the baguette slices in the oven and brown them until they are nice and crisp like croutons. They should be a deep golden brown color; just make sure you don't burn them. This should take no more than 10 minutes. Stay at the oven and check them as they will brown quickly. Get out your oven-safe bowls and set them on a cookie sheet. At the bottom of each bowl, place croutons to cover the bottom. Put a light sprinkle of cheese over them. Ladle about 1 ½ ladles full of soup into the bowls on top of the croutons and cheese. Put more croutons on top of the soup, and then generously cover the whole bowl with the Gruyere cheese. You can add as much as you like. Also dangle some cheese over the rim of the bowls. Put in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and light brown. Remove from the oven carefully (with oven mits) and let cool. The bowls will be very hot. Sprinkle some whole Thyme leaves on top of the soup. Pat yourself on the back and Bon Appetit!