French onion soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 pounds large onions (sweet if you like but I think yellow or red would be better)

Melt the butter in the slow cooker on HIGH. Add onions as they're sliced, stirring to coat with fat with each addition. Cover and let cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Decrease temperature to LOW. Let cook, stirring occasionally, til browning, about 4 hours. (Mine took 6 hours and then I refrigerated overnight.)

TO CONTINUE
3 tablespoons flour (I skipped this, it was plenty thick)
1 cup red wine
5 cups beef stock (I used a beef paste, sorry, a product whose name I can't remember and can't remember where I found it, but it was perfect)
2 tablespoons port (hmmph, I forgot this and do think it would add/brighten)
Salt & pepper to taste
Chopped parsley (for serving plain)

Bring onions back to low simmer. (This took a couple of hours.) Add the wine and stock and cook for 2 hours. Stir in port and season to taste. Top with parsley and serve at once.

BREAD & CHEESE
Thick slices good bread, toasted
Emmentaler or Gruyere or other good melting cheese, sliced thin

(Consider bringing soup way up to a fast boil before proceeding.) Place a scoop of onions in each bowl, top with the bread, then pour a scoop of liquid over top. Top with cheese and place under the broiler until cheese melts and begins