French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf 
• 1.5 pounds meaty beef bones 
• 1 pound beef shanks 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns whole black
• 0.5 ounce bread baguette french
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 2 large carrots peeled coarsely chopped
• 2  celery stalks coarsely chopped
• 0.3 cup chives fresh chopped
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley fresh
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 4 ounces gruyère cheese shredded packed ( 1 cup, )
• 1.1 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 medium onion cut into wedges
• 13 cups onions vertically sliced
• 3  thyme sprigs fresh
• 3 quarts water cold

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• paper towels
• ladle
• oven
• sieve
• broiler
• dutch oven
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 45
2. To prepare stock, arrange first 5 ingredients in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
3. Bake at 450 for 35 minutes or until browned. Scrape beef mixture and pan drippings into a large Dutch oven. Stir in 3 quarts cold water and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 2 1/2 hours, skimming surface as necessary. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth over a bowl; discard solids. Wipe pan clean with paper towels.
4. To prepare soup, return Dutch oven to medium heat.
5. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Melt butter in oil.
6. Add sliced onion to pan; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add salt and ground pepper; cook, uncovered, until deep golden brown (about 35 minutes), stirring frequently.
8. Add reserved stock and chopped thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 8 cups (about 50 minutes). Stir in chives.
9. Preheat broiler to high.
10. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan, and broil for 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute. Ladle 1 1/3 cups soup into each of 6 broiler-safe soup bowls. Top each serving with 2 bread slices, and sprinkle evenly with cheese.
11. Place soup bowls on jelly-roll pan, and broil for 4 minutes or until tops are golden brown and cheese bubbles.