Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced.
• 2.
  Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the onion, season with fine salt and cook for 25 minutes until very soft and a deep brown (stirring only occasionally at first, then constantly towards the end as the onion will catch on the base). Add the whisky and stir for 10 seconds, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon.
• 3.
  Place the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream, soup mix and onion mixture and beat until well combined. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
• 4.
  Cut a lid in the loaf by horizontally slicing a 2cm circle from the top. Scoop bread out from the inside of the loaf, hollowing it out to leave a 1.5cm edge, and roughly tear the scooped-out bread into large pieces. Place the bread shell, bread lid and chunks of bread on a baking tray. Spoon the onion and cream mixture into the shell. Using a microplane, finely grate half the Gruyere over the top of the filling. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is crisp, the filling is warm and the top is golden.
• 5.
  Transfer cob and crunchy bread to a serving plate and immediately grate the remaining cheese over the hot croutons. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives. Dip croutons into cob, and tear bread lid to use as extra croutons.