This is one of my favorites, and cannot seem to get enough.

Always serve this marvelous French country dish as a meal, lunch or dinner, with lots of salad and crusty French bread--hot to 8-12 people.

• 1 stick butter (8 Tablespoons)
• 8 cups onions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 3 quarts beef stock
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 teaspoon BV meat glaze (or kitchen bouquet, bovril, or oxo, in a pinch)--optional
• grated Gruyere cheese
• grated Parmesan cheese
• French bread
• olive oil

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven and add the onions, stirring constantly. cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft.

In the meantime, cut slices of French bread into 1/2 inch pieces and toast them at 350 degrees in the oven for about 15 minutes--until they are dry crusts.

When the onions are soft, sprinkle them with flour, stir, then add 2 cups of beef stock and stir until the mixture is thickened. Add the remaining stock, stir into 1 Tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and the brandy. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour to an hour. Add the meat glaze and taste for seasoning.

When you're ready to serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and cover each with a thick handful of Gruyere cheese. Top each with a piece of the toasted bread, which has been drizzled with olive oil. Sprinkle it with the Parmesan, then run them under a broiler for a few minutes and carry out to the table.