We all know that the best part of french onion soup is the melted Gruyere goodness that tops it. Is your mouth watering yet? Here's a great recipe with step-by-step advice to make each component - from broth to onion to, yes, the cheesy topper - the very best it can be.

Most important of all, of course, are those glorious cheese toasts. Simon and Lindsey make theirs in advance, cheese and all, and then retoast them, presumably to create a sturdier raft. I agree that the bread should be toasted before being topped with cheese to slow the sogging process, as Bourdain and Roux Jr prefer, and I like the idea of rubbing it with garlic, as the Prawn Cocktail Years authors suggest (just in case all those onions weren't allium enough). And remember, if you can see soup beneath, then you need more cheese.

Get the full recipe here.

Photo by Felicity Cloake