Never try to argue with the French about food, it's useless. No one knows the cuisine better than them, and it is not for nothing that cooking in France has been elevated to the rank of state status. And all the French chefs I know, with and without stars, always talk so amazingly about their knowledge and love of food that goosebumps run. It seems that they are born with a sense of beauty and improve it all their lives. Take Pierre Gagnère, whom Michelin loves so much, he can make the same dish for 20 and 30 days in a row, bringing it to perfection (as you remember, he doesn’t even stop there). And my recent friend Frederick charismatically joked that “you will be ready to eat a delicious dish even sitting on a trash can.”

And anyone who is even a little fond of cooking, sooner or later, will learn about the classic French onion soup. First thought - are you serious? Soup with onions, broth and toast? And that's it? But the French can't be wrong, they just make masterpieces out of everything they touch. So this time, I just followed the sum of techniques and recommendations that help make the soup so rich and rich in taste that you generally lose contact with reality, you just can’t believe that this is possible. Here everything is so verified and calculated that every time something incredible is obtained, and the serving of this soup is such that it causes a triple appetite and instant addiction. The soup is pleasantly thick, very rich, sweet taste of onion and tart thyme, and viscous stretchy cheese with pieces of crispy baguette, reminds us why the French rule the world of cooking - texture and taste in their reference combination - that's what this soup is about.

The rich aroma of the soup is based not so much on the broth, but on the browned onions. Sauteing, in this case, is a procedure in which the onion is slowly cooked, fried, acquiring a ruddy golden-brownish color. This is due to the caramelization of the sugar contained in the onion. Onion sauteing is done within half an hour, but professional chefs can do this for many hours, achieving a specific variety of aromas and flavor charm of the prepared onion soup. Often, to give the soup a special piquancy, dry white wine, cognac or sherry is added to the finished dish before cooking is completed, enhancing the aroma, and the soup is infused in a closed saucepan before serving.

So, it's simple. Cut the onion into quarters, and then into a thin strip. It will take about 1 kg of onion for everything, try to take a delicious, white onion.

Melt 60g butter in a frying pan over medium heat.

Put the onion in the pan. I added a couple more celery stalks, but it's not necessary.

Now everything is simple. Fry the onion, stirring occasionally, until it begins to caramelize and turn golden brown. The process is not fast, it will take from 20 to 35 minutes, but it is worth it. This is the most important stage, thanks to which you get a delicious soup.

Then pour in 250 ml of broth. It is better to take beef, but if not, take vegetable, chicken or just boiling water.

The broth will gradually evaporate. And at this time you will pick thyme leaves, from about 5-7 branches. Here he is good because he “plays along” with sweet onions. You can also add dried. But I wouldn't add any other herbs.

The idea is to evaporate the moisture of the broth. When you can leave a trace with a spatula, then the mass is thick enough. Then pour in the next 250 ml of broth. And we repeat the process, again evaporating the liquid.

When the second portion of the broth has evaporated decently (again, the spatula leaves a trace), pour in the rest of the broth (400 ml), bring to a boil and cook so much that the soup is of medium thickness. That is, the spatula will no longer leave a mark, but the soup will not be liquid either.

While the soup is rising, prepare the croutons. Best of all, of course, a baguette is suitable (I took it on rye flour). We cut into thin slices diagonally (you can cut into cubes or even cubes). And roast them in the toaster.

In principle, you can serve soup. But. if you want perfect classics, and even incredible sensations, we are preparing further. Pour soup into serving bowls or soup bowls. I have Wilmax, I don't worry about high temperatures at all. You can take pots. Pour so that there is about a centimeter left to the top.

Grate coarse cheese on top (Gruyere is a real bomb, or another hard cheese, such as parmesan, for example). So that it covers the entire surface of the soup. Put croutons on top.

Top with cheese again.

We put in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Here our task is simply to melt the cheese and not let the soup cool down. As soon as the cheese is decently melted, but does not start to flow or boil, take it out and serve it to the table.

When you serve, be sure to sprinkle the soup with thyme leaves, their aroma will spread throughout the kitchen, thanks to the hot steam of the soup. And also a small knife, it is convenient for them to cut a baguette, just like that, on top of the soup. Spoon soup, a piece of toast with cheese and go to heaven, I promise you.