[shel]

BOILED WATER
L’Aïgo Boulido

"In addition to its reputed medicinal virtues, this amusingly titled soup is delicious and tangy."

This Provençal infusion is said to have extraordinary virtues. Nothing can resist it: hangover, illness, child birth - there can be no convalescence without "boiled water." There’s an old proverb that says, Aïgo boulido sauova la vida (Boiled water saves your life).

1 quart water
salt
12 - 15 garlic cloves
1 or 2 Turkish bay leaves (or one small/med California Bay Laurel leaf)
1 or 2 sprigs sage
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (a good French oil can be nice here)
a couple - three slices of good quality day old white bread
freshly grated Gruyère or Parmesan cheese

Boil water in a non-reactive saucepan, add salt to taste, then add garlic. When water returns to boil, gentle boil for ten minutes, then add the bay leaves, sage, and a dash of oil. Let cook a few minutes more, then remove pan from the heat, cover, and allow the soup to stand for about ten or twelve minutes to infuse the water completely. Then strain the water.

Put the bread in a warmed soup tureen, cover with grated cheese, sprinkle with remaining oil, and pour in the strained infusion. Try it - you may be surprised at how good this infused soup is.

This recipe comes from Joséphine Besson. The original can be found in the book La Mère Besson "Ma Cuisine Provençal"

[siduri]

doesn't aigo mean garlic? so it would be boiled garlic?
there's an italian recipe, tuscan i think, called "cooked water", which is similar.

[shel]

Originally Posted by siduri

doesn't aigo mean garlic? so it would be boiled garlic?
there's an italian recipe, tuscan i think, called "cooked water", which is similar.

I believe the Italian word for garlic is aglio, not Aïgo. Note also, the accent mark over the "i". While I know a little French, I'm not sure where the French name for this soup originates. "Aïgo Boulido" may be slang or a local term. It's a rather well-known Provençal recipe, sometimes (but rarely) referred to as garlic boullion, although, afaik, the French word for garlic is "ail"

Shel

[siduri]

Originally Posted by shel

I believe the Italian word for garlic is aglio, not Aïgo. Note also, the accent mark over the "i". While I know a little French, I'm not sure where the French name for this soup originates. "Aïgo Boulido" may be slang or a local term. It's a rather well-known Provençal recipe, sometimes (but rarely) referred to as garlic boullion, although, afaik, the French word for garlic is "ail"

Shel

aglio is italian, but the dish is not italian. aigo boulido is not aglio bollito, which would be italian and it's not french.
I presume the language is provencal, (sorry, can;t get the accents with this keyboard) which would be a dialect now but once was a language in its own right.

[newbiechef]

what kind of bread would you reccomend using? like a sourdough, french anything? and i assume the better quality bread and cheese you use makes it much better... i got to say, when i originally clicked on the title "boiled water" i expected to see "get a pot, put water in it, put pot o' water on stove, turn on and wait until bubbles come from no where"...or something similar, but i got to say, this sounds much tastier than some hot water in a bowl...

[shel]

Originally Posted by newbiechef

what kind of bread would you reccomend using? like a sourdough, french anything? and i assume the better quality bread and cheese you use makes it much better... i got to say, when i originally clicked on the title "boiled water" i expected to see "get a pot, put water in it, put pot o' water on stove, turn on and wait until bubbles come from no where"...or something similar, but i got to say, this sounds much tastier than some hot water in a bowl...

As for bread, I've used a few kinds over the years, and the results have always been satisfactory. There are a lot of good bakeries in my area so I'll use something from a nice baguette, or some sort of firm white bread, a couple of pieces of foccacia - just don't use Wonder bread or that puffy supermarket stuff. A sourdough may be nice, although I don't recall having used that. Most any Gruyère cheese I've had has been fine, and therre are numerous types of Parmesan out there, from Reggiano through domestic and Argentinian - heck, you can even use a Grano Padano. It's not that important - if you're fussy, go to a cheese store and taste a few varieties if you can and find one you like. I bet an Emmenthaler Swiss would work well, even a Jarlsberg or a good Havarti. An Alpenzeller (sp?) might be nice.

While this recipe suggests sage, I've seen it with thyme as well, and the choice of herb might influence your choice of cheese. I'd stay away from cheeses like cheddar, Jack, strong Provolone, bue cheeses - hmm, maybe a nice goat cheese would push your buttons.

Have fun experimenting and let us know what you've found that works for you.

Shel

[DC Sunshine]

Sounds interesting will give it a go. Guess you could call it a garlic broth.

[home_cook]

I like to try something new. This sounds very tasty. I'll try this soup with my favorite goat chees.