French onion soup

Put the store-bought beef stock and crumbled ground beef into a pressure cooker and cook on high pressure 25 to 30 minutes.

Cut each onion in half across the equator, turn 90 degrees and slice about an eighth of an inch thick to get one and a half inch strips.

Melt a whole stick of butter in a large heavy bottom pot, add the onions, the water and a very generous pinch of salt, and cover so the water steams the onions down.

After five minutes uncover and cook over high-ish heat about five more minutes to drive off the water, scraping the bottom.

Drop to medium and stir almost constantly as the onions caramelize, watching the colour.

Stir and scrape for about 30 more minutes, dropping to medium low if unsure.

Once the moisture is gone, add about a quarter cup of water every three minutes or so and scrape up the brown, five to 10 more times, until the onions are dark dark brown, close to an hour in total.

Set the onions aside and strain off the beef stock.

Without a pressure cooker, make the same stock in a slow cooker or simmer it on low on the stove about 90 minutes.

Return the onions to heat, stir in the chopped thyme and fry it off about a minute, then add black pepper.

Stir in the flour and cook about 30 seconds until it is not lumpy.

Add the dry sherry and reduce until dry, watching that the caramelization does not run away.

Add the Worcestershire, the beef stock and a very small pinch of MSG.

Bring to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, then taste for salt.

Fry the bread in olive oil, top each piece with grated Gruyere and sliced provolone, and broil hard until the cheese bubbles and takes on brown spots.

Snug two cheese toasts into the hot broth and top with fresh cracked black pepper.