I spent some time in Spain back in the 90s, and among the things I remember really enjoying was the Garlic Soup I had in Madrid. Like many Spanish dishes it was familiar (kinda sorta like Onion Soup, but with Garlic), but also different enough to be, well, different. And different in a good way!
Recently, on that new PBS cooking show, Milk Street, they had a show dedicated to this classic Spanish dish. The first version was done by an actual Spanish chef, and he basically used: Garlic, Olive Oil, Stale Bread, Smoked Paprika (Pimentón), Water and eggs.
A few things to note, and I’m curious what folks here in the know think:
He used a ton of paprika. He didn’t say the amount, but he said “don’t be cheap” and he put in about 2 1/2 heaping tablespoons. And I mean heaping!! Other recipes I’ve seen call for, at most, a tablespoon. And I’m pretty sure the total amount of soup is about the same-- 4-6 servings.
Water. Most recipes I see call for chicken stock, and that makes sense. But the Spanish chef definitely used just water.
Eggs. I don’t remember if the stuff I had in Madrid had eggs in it or not, but that seems to be common to all recipes. It seems common to try and “poach” the egg in the soup rather than mix it in. The Spanish Chef, however, did mix it in although he did not seem to want the eggs to be cooked.
No cheese. I love cheese, and would probably want to add some. I’m no purist, so I’m OK with going off the reservation a bit on this.
Now, I know this is a classic, old dish, and there are probably as many variations as there are regions and cooks in Spain. If you have a recipe you like, please share. I want to make this sometime in the near future.
I’m guessing (and hoping) that Nava will have a thing or two to say!
A general rule for cooking is that recipe writers will half, third, or quarter the amounts when it comes to spices or other strong flavors (e.g. garlic). Ignore the values that they give you and just spice to taste.
Probably the TV chef was spicing based on what he does when cooking, not as though he was writing a recipe book.
Sopa castellana has a few more ingredients. There’s this version, with lots of text and images.
A similar version starts with broth that you make from two chicken “skeletons,” a leek, a carrot, parsely, salt and lots of water. Let cool and skim. Sauté garlic, serrano ham and Spanish chorizo; add pieces of toasted bread, broth and paprika and bring to boil. Lower heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, break up bread with whisk and see if it needs salt. Serve in bowls, each topped with a poached egg.
I’ve never had it. What’s the dish supposed to be like? Creamy? Broth-y? How much is the heat of raw garlic tamed - looks like the cloves are boiled or simmered, but not roasted.
The bread makes it thick, but it’s not creamy. There is no dairy in it, unless you count the eggs as dairy. You taste the garlic, but not like raw or just sautéed garlic-- it’s pretty mellow after all that simmering. It’s simple, peasant food. Delicious on a cold winter night.
I think it really depends on your source. I’ve never found that to be the case with Saveur or Serious Eats. To be honest, I’ve not found that to be the case with most recipes, except perhaps Cooks Illustrated when it comes to spicier cuisines. But, as you said, definitely do spice to taste. (Though sometimes I cringe at recipe reviews when a recipe is supposed to be delicately spiced, as a background note, and the reviewer doubles the amount of oregano, triples the amount of pepper, etc., to produce what I’m sure is a fine recipe for their tastes, but not what the recipe is supposed to be.)
