Zuppa di Pane all'Aglio

Bread Soup with Garlic

When my mother cooked this soup it meant that it was the end of the month, before the 27th, when everybody on salary got paid. I greatly admire how my mother used to achieve such wonders with the humblest of ingredients. I recently cooked this soup 'enriched' with egg yolks, and it was sheer heaven!

6 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
1.2 litres (2 pints) water
150ml (5 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
4 fresh bay leaves
4 egg yolks, beaten
4 large slices of bread, possibly a couple of days old
60g (2 1/4 oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the garlic, water, oil, bay leaves and some salt in a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and, while it is still hot, beat in the egg yolks. Place each bread slice in the bottom of a deep plate or soup bowl. Pour the soup on top and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and Parmesan.

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