Provençal Garlic Soup (Aïgo Boulido)
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cooking Time: 35 Minutes
Ingredients:
2 garlic heads (about 10 cloves/head)
4-6 fresh sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp (15ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 egg whites (or whole eggs)
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 slices of rustic bread (ie, Pain de Campagne)
1/4 cup (25g) grated Gruyère cheese
Directions:
Peel the garlic cloves. In a pot, bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Dump in the whole garlic cloves, sage, and bay leaves. Simmer for about 15 minutes (lid off), until the garlic has softened.
With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic cloves from the water and place them in a bowl. Mash them using the back of a fork until you reach a paste consistency. Mix in 1 tablespoon (15ml) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Return the garlic to the broth, and reduce for 15 more minutes. Pass the broth through a fine-meshed strainer and return it to the pot. Bring to a low simmer again.
Place egg whites in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to loosen (if using whole eggs, whisk them until blended). Slowly pour the beaten egg whites (or eggs) into the simmering broth, whisking them with a fork as you pour. Do not stop whisking until the eggs are cooked and appear as stringy egg drops. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat.
Divide the cheese evenly onto the 2 slices of bread and pass them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
For serving, pour the Aïgo Boulido into each bowl and top with a slice of bread.
Notes:
When shopping for garlic, choose bulbs that are firm to the touch, with dry and unblemished skins. The heads should stay together and not break apart easily. Whole garlic heads should be kept at room temperature in a dry place and can last for months. Individual cloves, unpeeled, should be used within 10 days.
When shopping for sage, choose it fresh over dried as it has superior flavor and curative powers. Look for fresh fuzzy leaves with a vibrant green-grayish hue, free from brow spots or yellowish ends. To store fresh sage leaves, wrap them in a paper towel and place them in a bag in the refrigerator. Use them within 5 days.
This recipe makes soup for 2 people, but you can easily double or triple quantities.
With one whole head of garlic per person, this soup recipe may scare you – but I promise the garlic bite mellows out as it cooks. The taste is actually quite subtle.
For the eggs, choose them as fresh as possible and take them out of your fridge at least 30 minutes before, to allow them to warm up to room temperature.
Recipe courtesy of Pardon Your French.com
