French Onion Soup

by Tom Ashworth

16 servings

Soup

• 6 lbyellow onions
• 6 tbspunsalted butter
• 2 tsp to 1 ⅓ tbspfine sea salt
• ½ cupdry sherry, vermouth or white wine
• 2 leavesbay leaf or a few sprigs of thyme
• 16 cupsbeef stock, or chicken or mushroom stock
• freshly ground black pepper

Toasts and Gratin

• 16 slicesslices of country bread or baguette
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 4 cupsGruyère, Comté, or Gruyère mixed with Parmesan