Zuppa Pavese

Pavia, Lombardia

Pavia's legendary one-bowl restorative: a raw egg cracked over day-old bread croutons in the bottom of a deep bowl, scalding-hot beef consommé poured over to cook the egg in situ, finished with grated Parmigiano. Said to have been invented in 1525 to revive Francis I of France after the Battle of Pavia. The genius is in the ratio of hot broth to cold egg — the white sets while the yolk remains molten, creating an instant enriched broth that is greater than its parts.

• Both are restorative bread-and-broth constructions that elevate humble ingredients through the interaction of liquid heat, melting fat, and starch — French adds cheese gratin crust where Pavia uses raw egg as thickener → Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée French
• Both are bread-and-broth soups where an egg is added raw and cooked by the heat of the dish — Açorda uses poached egg and garlic-scented broth, Zuppa Pavese uses a direct pour of boiling consommé → Açorda Alentejana Portuguese

Pure, clean, intensely beefy from the consommé, enriched by the partially-set egg, with the nuttiness of Parmigiano and the buttery depth of fried bread croutons