| 1 | Melt the butter and olive oil together in a heavy, 4-quart soup pot. |
| 2 | Add the onions, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. |
| 3 | raise the heat to moderate, uncover pan, and add sugar and salt. |
| 4 | Cook 20 to 30 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a rich, mahogany brown. |
| 5 | reduce heat to low, add the garlic, and cook 1 minute. |
| 6 | Blend in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. |
| 7 | Remove the pan from the heat and blend in 1 cup of hot stock, making sure the flour is completely dissolved. |
| 8 | Stir in the remaining stock, the wine, vinegar, thyme, and pepper, and bring to a boil. |
| 9 | Lower heat and simmer slowly, cover slightly ajar, for 30 minutes. |
| 10 | Add bay leaf the last 15 minutes, discarding it at the end of cooking time. |
| 11 | Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. |
| 12 | note: the soup can be prepared several days in advance (in fact, it improves with age), but if you are planning to serve it gratinee, have your guests clamoring at the table as you remove it from the broiler, or the crust will sink like a leaky barge. |
| 13 | Therefore: |
| 14 | preheat the broiler. |
| 15 | smear a bit of butter in the bottom of individual earthenware (or other heatproof) bowls, and place them on a cookie sheet. |
| 16 | Place a croute on the bottom of each bowl and sprinkle generously with gruyere. |
| 17 | Repeat this procedure in each bowl. |
| 18 | Ladle in the simmering soup. |
| 19 | Float another croute on top of each serving, sprinkle on more gruyere and a drift of parmesan. |
| 20 | Drizzle with a bit of melted butter, and whisk the bowls under the preheated broiler for a few minutes. |
| 21 | Watch carefully. |
| 22 | When the cheese is crusty and the soup bubbling, serve immediately. |
| 23 | afterthoughts: serve the soup with bruschetta or garlic croutons. |
| 24 | Try bruschetta smeared with a little dijon mustard and topped with brie in place of the gruyere croutes. |
| 25 | If you"re feeling like a high roller, add a dash of cagnac to each serving when you ladle on the soup. |
| 26 | If you"re concerned about your weight, serve the soup unadorned except for a sprinkling of fresh minced parsley. |
| 27 | Pass thin bruschetta or lightly toasted french bread and a small bowl of grated parmesan at the table. |
| 28 | you may also wish to serve the soup from a tureen. |
| 29 | Preheat oven to 425 °F, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until brown and crusty. |
| 30 | and do try the redoubtable julia child"s version: a couple of egg yolks beaten with 4 or 5 tablespoons of port or madeira, poured under the edge of the crust, and gently stirred just before serving. |
| 31 | (divide this amount among bowls if serving them individually). |
