French onion soup

French onion soup is proof That you don't need expensive or exotic ingredients to make something truly delicious. The thing with French onion soup is that you have to start in the morning and have no need to leave the house until after dinner. A true lazy day dish.

The Onion Soup
Onions (a fuck ton)
Butter (about 3-5 tablespoons)
Flour (about two wooden spoonfuls)
Sugar (one or two teaspoons)
Stock (whatever you have. Beef stock is traditional but I use my veg stock recipe and add an onion skin to it for color. Equally you could use a stock cube but you're already going to be in the kitchen all day so why make a rubbish soup?)

1. Slice your onions into slim rings. Preferably with the wide slicing blade of a food processor (if you value your time).
2. Saute your onions in most of your butter on a very low heat. This is going to take ages. No colour on these puppies cook them till they are soft. Not floppy. Soft. Low low low heat probably late two-three hours. Don't rush.
3. When your onions are soft turn the heat up to medium and add your sugar. You need to cook this out for a good ten minutes (if you don't your soup will be sweet which would just be weird)
4. Add the flour and cook out for at least two minutes but no more than five or so minutes.
5. Add stock slowly stirring in then simmer for at least 30 mins but realistically as long as is practical. (you could do this in a slow cooker) there is a time between putting the stock in and when the soup has finished simmering when it both looks and tastes dreadful. This is normal don't freak out.

Serve the soup piping hot with cheese on toast. Traditionally you would top the soup with cheese and bread and grill it all together. But I find a heap of cheese on toast to be easier and more convivial.