Açorda à Alentejana — Garlic & Coriander Bread Soup

Pound the garlic, most of the coriander and a good pinch of salt to a rough green paste in a mortar (or blitz briefly). Work in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until it looks like a loose pesto.

💡 The garlic and coriander are raw — this paste is the whole flavour of the açorda, so taste it and get the salt right before any water goes in.

Put the coriander paste in a large bowl or tureen. Pour the boiling water over it, whisking, so the raw garlic and herb steep into the hot liquid. Taste and adjust the salt.

Poach the eggs: slide them one at a time into a pan of barely simmering water and cook 3 minutes, until the white is set but the yolk stays runny.

💡 Some cooks crack the eggs straight into the hot açorda liquid to poach them there — that works too and flavours the broth, but a separate pan is easier to control.

Put the torn stale bread into four bowls. Ladle the hot green broth over it and let it sit for a minute so the bread softens and swells but still holds some texture.

Slide a poached egg onto each bowl, scatter the last of the coriander, and finish with a thread of the remaining olive oil. Eat straight away, breaking the yolk through the bread.