Red Onion Soup With Cheese Toasts

• Olive oil
• 3 pounds red onions, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small bunch thyme, tied with string
• 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 6 slices day-old bread, lightly toasted
• 6 ounces grated Gruyere
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage

1. Set 2 large, wide skillets over medium-high heat.
2. When pans are hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and a large handful of sliced onions to each pan.
3. Season onions with salt and pepper, then saute, stirring occasionally, until they are a ruddy dark brown, about 10 minutes
4. Transfer onions to soup pot and return pans to stove.
5. Pour 1/2 cup water into each pan to deglaze it, scraping with a wooden spoon to dissolve any brown bits.
6. Pour deglazing liquid into soup pot.
7. Wipe pans clean with paper towel and begin again with more oil and sliced onions.
8. Continue until all onions are used.
9. Dont crowd pans or onions wont brown sufficiently.
10. Place soup pot over high heat.
11. Add wine, bay leaves, thyme bunch and garlic.
12. Simmer rapidly for 5 minutes, then add 8 cups water and return to boil.
13. Turn heat down to maintain a gentle simmer.
14. Add 2 teaspoons salt.
15. Cook for 45 minutes.
16. Skim off any surface fat, taste and adjust seasoning.
17. (May be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance.)
18. To serve, add brandy to soup, if using, and simmer 5 minutes.
19. Remove the thyme.
20. Make the cheese toasts: Heat broiler.
21. Place toasted bread on baking sheet.
22. Mix grated cheese with chopped thyme and sage, along with a generous amount of pepper.
23. Heap about 1 ounce of cheese mixture on each toast.
24. Broil until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.
25. Ladle soup into wide bowls and top with toast.

olive oil, red onions, salt, red wine, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, brandy, bread, gruyere, thyme, sage

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015863 (may not work)