Name: Changua Bogotana
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Colombia
Ingredients: 500 ml water; 500 ml whole milk; 6 scallions, whites crushed and chopped, greens sliced thin to garnish; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 4 large eggs, very fresh; 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped; 4 pieces stale bread rolls or baguette, about 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick, lightly toasted if very soft; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Changua is a soup from the cold Andean highlands around Bogotá, made from milk and water simmered with scallions, then finished with eggs poached right in the pot. It is served in a bowl with cilantro and pieces of stale bread, which soften in the broth. It is a light, savory morning dish with a gentle flavor.

The one rule is to never let the milk boil hard, because it will split and turn grainy. Keep the pot at a bare simmer, add the eggs gently, and cover so the tops of the whites set without you having to turn anything. Season the water well with salt before the milk goes in, since the finished soup is mild.

Bogotá's other signature soup is ajiaco, made with three kinds of potato and chicken.

Changua Bogotana is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.

method

Bring the water to a simmer in a wide saucepan with the crushed scallion whites and the salt. Simmer for 5 minutes so the water takes on the scallion flavor.

Pour in the milk and heat over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until steaming and just below a simmer. Do not let it boil, or the milk may separate.

Taste the broth and adjust the salt. Reduce the heat so the surface barely moves.

Crack each egg into a small bowl and slide it gently into the broth, spacing them apart. Cover the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft.

Put a piece of bread in each of four warm bowls. Ladle in the broth, then lift out one egg per bowl with a slotted spoon and place it on top of the bread.

Scatter the cilantro and scallion greens over each bowl, add black pepper, and serve immediately.

chef's tips

Use the freshest eggs you can find. Fresh egg whites hold together in the broth instead of spreading into threads.
Day-old bread is traditional and works best because it absorbs the broth without disintegrating. Fresh bread turns to mush; toast it first.
If you cook the eggs until firm, the yolk loses its role as a sauce. Pull them as soon as the whites are opaque.