Cream of Onion Soup

Heat the butter and oil in a medium, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to coat the onion with oil. Cook until the onion starts to soften and turn color, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower heat to medium-low and cook until the onions are a rich caramel color, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add a splash of water at any point if the onions start to stick to the pan too much. Add the 2 cloves of minced garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the beef stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom. Bring the soup up to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to low and simmer (uncovered) 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream; taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Keep warm until your bread is ready.

Preheat the broiler. Put the bread onto a baking tray. Broil the bread on both sides until light golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool slightly (so you can handle it) and then rub the remaining 1 whole clove of garlic on 1 side of each piece. Put the bread back onto the tray, garlic side up. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the bread and broil until melted (stay with it, this happens fast). Serve the cheesy bread along with the soup.