French Onion Soup With Paneer Croutons

• 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 cassia or cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 small star anise pod
• 3 pounds red onions, peeled, cores removed and sliced thinly into little rainbows, about 8 each, 12 cups sliced
• kosher salt
• 1/4 cup rye whiskey
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 large dried bay leaf
• couple of sprigs of fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons sherry or balsamic vinegar
• 7 ounces paneer, cut into small 1-inch cubes (can also sub with halloumi)
• extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt
• small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
• big squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Grab your largest, widest pot, preferably a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, and place it over medium heat.
2. Add ghee or butter, and once it has melted, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom and star anise pod.
3. Saute a little less than a minute, until fragrant and cumin seeds darken a little (but dont blacken; if they do, start again!
4. ).
5. Now add onionsdo this in a few layers, sprinkling with a good coupla pinches of salt in between.
6. Turn heat up to medium high.
7. Stir, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, but not too often.
8. A deep dark brown crust will form on the bottom of the pot; dont worry.
9. This is flavor!
10. But if it is starting to blacken, then add a little water to loosen it from the bottom and turn the heat down to medium.
11. Dont turn the heat off.
12. You want these onions to turn almost syrupy and chestnut brown in color.
13. Turn heat off.
14. Add whiskey, turn heat back up to medium high and scrape up that delicious crust with a wooden spoon.
15. Cook until most of the whiskey has evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.
16. Now add the stocks and continue to gently scrape up any remaining crust.
17. Drop the bay leaf and parsley sprigs into the pot, bring it to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.
18. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes.
19. It will smell so good the neighbors might come knocking.
20. Sorry about that.

ghee, cumin seeds, cassia, green cardamom pods, anise pod, red onions, kosher salt, rye whiskey, chicken stock, beef stock, bay leaf, couple, sherry, paneer, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, handful fresh parsley, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper

Taken from www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/french-onion-soup-with-paneer-croutons-recipe/ (may not work)