← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp duck fat (or olive oil)
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp Plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1.2 l chicken stock
• 1 Bay leaves
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
• 4 slices slices of country bread, toasted
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt the fat in a saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 10 min, stirring, until soft and pale golden; do not let the garlic brown or it turns bitter.
2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the stock. Add the bay and thyme and simmer for 15 min.
3. Turn the heat right down so the soup is barely trembling. Pour in the egg whites in a thin stream, stirring with a fork so they set in fine threads.
4. Whisk the yolks with the vinegar and a ladle of hot soup, then stir this back into the pan off the heat. Do not let it boil again. Season.
5. Put a slice of toast in each bowl and ladle the soup over.

Tips

• For a vegetarian version, use olive oil and vegetable stock.
• Locals finish the bowl with a splash of red wine, the chabrot.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Food Love French Food Tasting Table