Try Julia Child's French Onion Soup recipe to practice slicing onions — it's worth the work and the time. Also, check out this recipe for homemade beef stock. 

Time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A heavy-bottomed, 4-quart covered saucepan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (helps the onions brown)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 quarts boiling brown stock, beef bouillon, or 1 quart of boiling water and 1 quart of stock or bouillon
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay) or dry white vermouth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons cognac
• Rounds of hard-toasted French bread (toast in oven at 325 for 20 mins, drizzling with olive oil halfway through).
• 1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in a covered saucepan for 15 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat to medium-high, and stir in salt and sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. Meanwhile, bring stock to a boil.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.

Off heat, blend in the boiling stock. Add the wine, and season to taste.

Simmer partially covered for 30 or 40 minutes, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning. Set aside uncovered until ready to serve. Then reheat to a simmer.

Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Pour over rounds of bread, and pass the cheese separately.