French Onion Miso Soup

Method

1. Halve the onions and slice them 3 mm thick from root to tip, along the grain. Cut this way, they hold their shape through the long cooking.

   Add in this steponions (medium, about 200 g each) 2

2. Melt the butter in a heavy-based 22 cm pot and add the onions and salt. Cook on medium heat for 10 min, stirring often until they collapse, then lower to medium-low heat and cook for 22 min more. Whenever brown bits stick to the bottom, add 1 tbsp water and scrape them up. They are done when they are deep brown and soft and sticky like jam. This step is all the flavour, so don't rush it.

   Add in this stepbutter 20 gsalt 1 pinch

   medium heat→medium-low heat

3. Pour in the sake and cook on medium heat for 1 min, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon as the alcohol cooks off.

   Add in this stepsake or dry white wine 3 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Add the stock and bay leaf and simmer on medium-low heat for 12 min so the onions' sweetness flows into the broth. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 230 °C.

   Add in this steplow-salt chicken stock (or dashi) 550 mlbay leaf 1

   medium-low heat

5. Spread the baguette slices on a baking tray and toast in the oven at 230 °C for 4 min until dry and crisp. Crisp toast doesn't turn soggy the moment it hits the soup.

   Add in this stepbaguette slices, 1.5 cm thick 4

   oven

6. Remove the bay leaf and turn the heat to low heat. Put the miso in a ladle, loosen it with broth and stir it in. Heat for 1 min and switch off before it boils. Taste and add a little more miso if needed.

   Add in this stepwhite miso (shiro miso) 1½ tbsp

   low heat

7. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls, float the toast on top and pile on the cheese. Set the bowls on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 230 °C (or under the grill) for 3 min, until the cheese bubbles and browns in spots. The bowls are extremely hot: always use oven gloves and serve them on a plate or board.

   Add in this stepGruyère or Emmental, grated 60 g

   oven