browning them? If so, I should be able to save myself a bit of babysitting time by limiting my stirring to the final stage of cooking To it, I went back to a method I’d learned from Chef Jason Bond for making a sweet white onion puree back when I was a line cook at No Park: all you have to is to cook onions thinly sliced pole-to-pole (they’ll have a better texture when cooked) in butter in a heavy enameled cast-iron or stainless steel Dutch oven Once they get going, throw on the lid, turn the heat down as low as possible, and let ’em sit there As the onions heat, they give off liquid, some of which turns to steam, recondenses on the roof of the pot, and then falls back down, keeping the onions moist as they soften After a couple hours (with just one or two stirs in the middle), the onions will be completely softened and have given up all the liquid and dissolved flavor compounds they’re gonna give up At this stage, it’s a simple matter of reducing that sugary liquid over moderate heat until it’s deeply caramelized and brown, using the browning-anddeglazing process I use for my quick caramelized onions The resultant soup is sweet, rich, and deeply complex TRADITIONAL FRENCH ONION SOUP NOTE: If your pot doesn’t have a heavy tight-fitting lid, place a layer of aluminum foil over the pot, crimping the edges to seal tightly, then add the lid SERVES 4 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 pounds yellow onions (about 5 large), finely sliced (about 7½ cups) Kosher salt ẳ cup dry sherry 6 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock 2 bay leaves 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme Freshly ground black pepper 1 baguette, sliced ẵ inch thick and toasted 8 ounces Gruyốre or Swiss cheese, grated Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat Add the onions and teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the onions have begun to soften and settled into the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid (see Note above), reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and ... place a layer of aluminum foil over the pot, crimping the edges to seal tightly, then add the lid SERVES 4 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 pounds yellow onions (about 5 large), finely sliced (about 7ẵ cups) Kosher salt... begun to soften and settled into the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid (see Note above), reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and ... Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat Add the onions and teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the onions have begun to soften and settled into the