Poached Eggs in Chorizo-Tomato Stew with Garlic Croutons

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan plus some for drizzling
• 3/4 pound chorizo sausage, in packaged meats case near kielbasa, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 chopped and 1 crushed
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 6 medium size red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (recommended: Muir Glen)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 thick slices crusty farm house, country style bread
• 1/2 cup flat- leaf parsley leaves, a few large handfuls, picked
• 1 lemon, zest
• 1 orange, zest
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, eyeball it
• 4 eggs, 1 per serving

Directions

Preheat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Add the 2 cloves chopped garlic, onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring up to a bubble, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Fill a medium skillet with warm water. Bring water to a gentle simmer over medium low heat. As the water is coming up to a simmer proceed with making the garlic croutons and the zesty parsley sprinkle.

Toast the bread in the broiler or in a toaster oven. Once the bread is toasted, rub with the cracked garlic and then drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over it and reserve.

Pile the parsley leaves, lemon zest and orange zest on a cutting board. Run your knife through the pile until the parsley is finely chopped and the zests are completely incorporated into the parsley, reserve.

Once the water is at a bubble for poaching the eggs, pour the vinegar into the simmering water. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Gently pour the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs. Cook eggs for about 2 minutes for runny yolks, or about 4 for solid yolks. Do not allow the water to boil. Carefully remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to a towel-lined plate to drain.

To serve, pull thyme stems from chorizo-tomato stew, then arrange the garlic croutons in the bottom of 4 shallow soup bowls, ladle some of the stew on top of the garlic croutons, set eggs in place and sprinkle dish with zesty parsley sprinkle and serve.