"Charming" French Onion Soup

I've decided to fill the void that is the Sons of Anarchy hiatus with one of my other passions:  cooking.  Bobby Elvis and I are soul mates in this respect.  I love cooking for the people I love.  I'm not an especially effusive person when it comes to public displays of affection, so I show folks I love them by making tasty things to eat.  My dear husband probably blames his inability to lose his grad-school weight on the fact that I insist on cooking with real butter and whole milk. 

Anyway, I made this amazing pot of French onion soup tonight, and during the process I thought to myself:  "This is something Bobby Elvis would do for the boys in the club house.  He's a worldly guy...he probably tries to expose the guys to as many different dishes as he knows how to cook."

So, here's my recipe.  I'd like to think it's something Bobby would throw together.  And, in the spirit of Bobby's enthusiasm for organic foods, I used as many organic ingredients as possible.

Ingredients (for six to eight servings)
1 1/2 pounds organic sweet onions (about two large).
1 big tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons organic sweet cream butter
1 heaping tablespoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
3 heaping tablespoons flour
2 quarts organic broth (I used a quart of vegetable broth and a quart of onion/beef broth)
1/2 - 3/4 cups Madeira (or other dry California white wine)
Organic Jaarlsburg cheese (Swiss or Parm work, too)
A loaf of organic French bread (day-old okay)

Instructions
Peel and slice onion to your preferred thickness.  Steam on low in a covered, four-quart soup pot or saucepan with the butter and olive oil for about 15 minutes.  If the onions start to brown too quickly (which it may do if you sliced it thinly), turn the heat down a little.

Add the sugar and salt to the onions.  The salt is for flavor and the sugar (also a little for flavor) helps the onions brown evenly.  On mid-to-low heat, cook the onions slowly until they are a golden brown.  They may take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes to cook, depending on onion thickness. 

When the onions are a golden, carmelized brown, add the flour.  I know this sounds strange, but trust me...it's all part of the process.  Stir until the flour is absorbed.

At this point, your house probably stinks of onions.  I apologize for that.

Add the broth and bring to a slow boil.  The soup will seem relatively thick at this point.  Then, add the Madeira.  Return to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and let simmer for 40 minutes.  Make sure you partially cover the pot so the yummy flavor stays in there.  Stir and taste occasionally to adjust flavor. 

Slice and toast the bread until just crunchy.  I prefer big, beefy slices of bread, but this is a personal preference thing.  Place in oven-safe clay or porcelain bowls (if you have any bowls with handles, well, that's even better).

Pour a big spoonful or two of soup over the bread.  Top with a slice of cheese and place in a toaster oven.  I used the toaster-setting and toasted the soup until the cheese was melty and bubbly.  Microwaves work, too.  You could also put the bowl under the broiler until the cheese melts.

Yummy.  Here's to keeping resolutions!