Lidia's Italy

4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
1 cup unbleached flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups chicken stock
4 eggs, beaten
1½ cups croutons
freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a heavy saucepan, brown the garlic and flour in heated oil, stirring constantly over low heat, 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and mix well, scraping all the flour from the sides of the pan. Simmer 20 minutes, skimming occasionally. Pass the mixture through a sieve, discarding the garlic and any lumps of flour. In a clean pan, bring the mixture to a boil and slowly add the beaten eggs, continuously beating with a fork during the process. Return to the boil, remove immediately from the heat, and serve with croutons and freshly ground pepper.