Normally I'm not big on the whole celebrity chef phenomenon, but I found this in Spain: A Culinary Road Trip by Mario Batali ("with" Gwyneth Paltrow. Not sure what she was doing there since evidently she couldn't even keep him from wearing orange Crocs... but I digress).
The recipe says it serves six, but he has to mean as a first course. And I'm not sure why you would ever want to have this soup as a first course, since you will just want more of the soup.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 pound stale bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups) [I was too lazy to remove the crusts and it was delicious]
- 8 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon hot pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika) [I have a feeling this is an important ingredient to get right. Regular paprika has very little punch. The Spanish smoked paprika I get at Penzey's (not sure where else you can get it, but I know it's around) is smoky and flavorful.]
- Kosher salt
- 8 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water [I did like 1/3 chicken broth and the rest water]
- 6 poached eggs [pshhht. Or *three*, since it really only serves three].
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bread and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, pimenton, and a good pinch of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until very fragrant. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the bread is very soft. Taste and add salt if necessary. Ladle the soup into six [three] bowls, put a poached egg into each, and serve.
Oh yeah, did I mention I poached my first (and second, for lunch tomorrow) eggs tonight? Kind of gross, kind of fun. Probably won't do it again for a while.
