French Onion Toasts
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds (905 grams; about 4 medium-large) yellow onions, cut into dice of about ⅓ inch (about 4½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cognac, brandy, or vermouth (optional)
- 1 cup (235 ml) low-sodium beef, veal, or mushroom stock or broth
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Thirty-two ½-inch-thick slices from a long baguette
- About 2 cups (8 ounces or 225 grams) finely grated Gruyère cheese (you might have a little extra)
Instructions:
These french onion toasts make a delicious appetizer or after-lunch snack.
- Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan, toss them gently with the butter and oil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook the onions for 15 minutes, then remove the lid, stir in the salt and sugar, and sauté without the lid for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are fully caramelized and have taken on a deep-golden color. Pour in Cognac, if using it, and the stock, then turn the heat all the way up and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Simmer the mixture until the broth almost completely disappears (a small amount of slosh is okay; you don’t want to cook it off so much that the onions seem dry), about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the salt, if needed, and season with freshly ground black pepper.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil. Dollop each round of bread with most of a tablespoon of the onion mixture (depending on the size of your baguette, 1 full tablespoon of onion may be too much to keep neatly on top). Add 1 tablespoon grated cheese to the top of each toast, mounding it a bit so it all stays in place. Bake the toasts for about 15 minutes, until bubbly and a bit browned. Serve immediately.