Let the bread sit at room temperature for several hours, or overnight, until dry.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 first-course servings

　　Garlic Broth

　　4 teaspoons coarse salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　8 1/4-inch- (.5-cm-) thick slices dry French bread

　　4 eggs

　　grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

　　

Step 1

In a large deep frying pan, combine the garlic broth, salt, and pepper over medium heat. Arrange the bread slices around the edge of the pan, slightly overlapping them and leaving a circle about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter in the center. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the liquid is at a lively simmer. Crack the eggs into the pan so they form a ring, without touching, toward the center of the pan. (If preferred, crack the eggs one at a time onto a saucer and slide them into the broth.) Cook just until the whites and the surface of the yolks are set, 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon broth over the tops of the yolks if they aren't submerged.

　　

Step 2

To serve, ladle the broth and bread into large warm soup bowls and top each with an egg. Pass Parmesan at the table.

　　Reprinted with permission from Soup: A Way of Life by Barbara Kafka. © 1998 Artisan