FRIED ONION SOUP WITH POACHED EGG

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 yellow onions, sliced into rings
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
3 1/2 to 4 cups prepared beef broth
3 cups cold water
4 eggs
1 can (about 3 ounces) crispy French fried onions (for garnish)

Melt butter with olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, then add the onions and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Saute until onions are soft and brown, about 30 minutes. Don't rush this step.

Add the garlic, bay leaf and tarragon, raise heat to high, and saute? for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the mustard, then add the broth and water. Bring the soup up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium again, and simmer for 30 minutes.

A few minutes before you're ready to serve, fish out the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings if you need to. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into the gently simmering soup to poach. (Tip: Break them one by one into a small bowl first, then slide them carefully into the soup to avoid getting shells in your soup.) Poach for about 4-5 minutes, until the eggs are set but the yolks are still runny.

TO SERVE:
Ladle soup into bowls, making sure each bowl gets an egg. Sprinkle the crispy onions over the top. Eat immediately; your egg yolk should run all through the soup.

Servings: 4
Source: Gentlemen, Start Your Ovens by Tucker Shaw and Leigh Beisch