Recipes

Chosen from A Year in My Kitchen by Skye Gyngell, this simple onion recipe is a good use of store-cupboard ingredients for any last-minute guests or an indulgent supper.

Serves 4

     50g unsalted butter
     4 yellow onions, peeled and very finely sliced
     1½tsp caster sugar
     50ml apple brandy
     1 bay leaf
     4 thyme sprigs
    750ml chicken stock

To Serve

    4 slices of good quality white bread
    1 garlic clove, halved
    120g Gruyère, grated
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Sea salt
    Handful of curly parsley, stalks removed and very finely chopped (optional)

Method

Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the sugar and add a pinch or two of salt. Sweat gently for 20 minutes until very soft. The onions will deepen in colour as the sugar and butter begin to caramelise and their natural sweetness is teased out.

When the onions are really soft, add the brandy and increase the heat to reduce the liquor, cooking off the alcohol. Add the herbs and pour in the chicken stock. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes or so, or until the stock has reduced slightly and the flavour is deep and intense. Discard the herbs.

Toast the slices of bread until golden brown on both sides. Rub with the cut garlic clove while still hot and place one slice in each warm soup plate. Ladle over the onion broth and sprinkle with the Gruyère. Finish with a grinding of pepper and a sprinkling of parsley if you like. Serve piping hot.