French Onion Soup Traybake

Has @0nlyscrans done the impossible and improved French onion soup?!

Serves: 4
Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes (30 minutes prep, 2 hours 45 minutes cook)

Ingredients

For the beef:

500g braising steak, cut into large chunks
3 white onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp plain flour
500ml beef stock
150ml red wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Dijon mustard
100g Gruyère, grated
100g mozzarella
Salt and black pepper

To serve:

Garlic bread

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the beef (500g) generously with salt and black pepper

2. Heat the olive oil (1 tbsp) in a large casserole dish over a high heat. Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned all over, then remove from the dish

3. Lower the heat and add the butter (2 tbsp) and onions (3). Cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and deeply caramelised

4. Add the garlic (4 cloves) and thyme (1 tsp) and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour (1 tbsp) and cook for another minute

5. Pour in the red wine (150ml), scraping up any browned bits. Add the beef stock (500ml), Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp) and Dijon mustard (1 tsp), then return the beef to the dish

6. Cover tightly with foil and cook for 2.5 hours, or until the beef is completely tender

7. Increase the oven to 200°C. Tear the garlic bread into chunks and arrange over the sauce. Top with the Gruyère (100g) and mozzarella (100g)

8. Return to the oven uncovered for 10–15 minutes until the bread is crisp and the cheese is bubbling and golden

french onion tray bake, french onion beef, braised beef, cheesy garlic bread, comfort food