Detox the Provencal way

Garlic is the base of Aigo Boulido

The Garlic Research Bureau nowadays has proved that the content of the amino acid Alliin (which, incidentally, also gives it its smell) has such strong antiseptic properties that it can actually cure mouth ulcers, acne, cold sores and athlete's foot. They also claim (vampires please note) that it thins the blood, preventing cholesterol build-up and thus  heart attacks.

In Provence the healing properties of garlic have always been held in high esteem, and were used for protecting villagers against fevers, and placed in the bed of a woman giving birth to ward away evil spirits from the newborn baby.

At its most basic, L'Aigo Boulido is a very Provençal pick-me-up, served regularly in local households at this time of year, after over-indulgence during les fêtes, and it is most frequently on the table for lunch on January 1st. The digestive properties of garlic are well-known, as are those of sage (sàuvi in Provençal from the Latin root salvere = to be in good health). Every family has its own recipe and  this is a fairly typical example.

Recipe for 4 people:
Take: 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, 1 teaspoon olive oil, a good bunch of fresh sage, a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, and salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a litre of water to the boil in a saucepan and add all ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it infuse, covered, for 10 minutes. Reheat and serve.
You can eat this with plain toasted slices of pain de campagne, or sprinkle the toast with gruyère cheese and pour the soup over it. Alternatively, at the infusion stage you can take out the herbs, and add an egg to each bowl, beating it as you pour the hot liquid into it.

Juliet Young