Castilian-Style Garlic Soup

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic -- minced

4 1/2 cups day-old country bread,crusts removed -- cut in 1/

2" slices then torn roughly into crouton-size pieces 2 teaspoons imported sweet paprika

4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled

4 1/2 cups water

salt freshly ground pepper 4 cups beef broth or beef consomme

6 eggs (optional)

6 tablespoons Spanish mountain cured ham. prosciutto,

or capicollo, chopped -- in a 1/4 inch dice

Place 5 teaspoons of the oil and the minced garlic in a skillet and slowly heat until the garlic begins to color. Add the bread pieces and saute slowly until they are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of the paprika and stir to coat the bread. Reserve. To make the garlic broth, in a soup pot heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and lightly saute the pooled, crushed garlic cloves. Stir in the remaining teaspoon paprika, the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 45 minutes---you should have about 4 cups (these first two steps may be done in advance). Bring the beef broth to a boil. Arrange 6 ovenproof soup bowls on a baking tray and 1 tablespoon of the beef broth to each. If you are using eggs, slip one into each bow, scatter in the ham, and pour in more beef broth (the bowls should be half full). Place the tray with the bowls in a 450F oven until the eggs are set, about 4 minutes. Fill the bowls with the reserved garlic broth, boiling hot, and scatter in the bread pieces.

Serve Immediately.