Acquacotta Maremmana

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 4-quart pot or Dutch oven
• •Four warmed soup bowls

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the onions

   In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and celery. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft, golden, and beginning to melt into the oil. This takes at least 20 minutes. Do not rush. The sweetness of properly cooked onions is the foundation of this soup. If the onions brown too quickly, lower the heat and add a tablespoon of water.

   The onions should not fry or crisp. They must become soft and yielding, almost jammy. This is where the flavor lives.
2. 2

   Add the tomatoes

   Add the tomatoes to the pot. If using canned, crush them by hand as you add them, letting the juices fall into the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and begin to combine with the onions, about 10 minutes. The mixture should smell sweet and earthy.

3. 3

   Add the water and simmer

   Pour in the water. Yes, water. This is acquacotta, cooked water. The name is not poetry but plain description. Add one teaspoon of salt and a small pinch of peperoncino if you like gentle heat. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. The broth should taste of onions and tomatoes, simple and clean. Adjust salt as needed.

   Some add a Parmigiano rind here for depth. This is acceptable, though not traditional to the Maremma. The purest versions rely only on the vegetables and good oil.
4. 4

   Prepare the bread

   Place one thick slice of stale bread in the bottom of each of four warmed soup bowls. The bread must be stale, at least two days old. Fresh bread turns to paste. Stale bread absorbs the broth while maintaining some structure.

5. 5

   Poach the eggs

   Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly into the simmering soup. Space them apart so they do not touch. Let them poach gently until the whites are just set but the yolks remain runny, about 3 to 4 minutes. The eggs should tremble when you lift them. Do not overcook them.

   If you are nervous about poaching eggs in soup, you may poach them separately in salted water and place one atop each bowl. But the traditional method is to cook them directly in the broth, where they absorb its flavor.
6. 6

   Assemble and serve

   Ladle the hot soup over the bread in each bowl, ensuring each portion receives plenty of onions, tomatoes, and broth. Carefully lift one poached egg into each bowl, placing it atop the bread. Scatter grated cheese over all. Drizzle generously with your best olive oil. Add a few torn basil leaves and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately. The yolk should break when the spoon touches it, enriching the broth.

Chef Tips

• •The bread must be stale. Two days old at minimum. Fresh bread becomes gummy paste. Tuscan bread, made without salt, is traditional, but any country bread with a dense crumb will work if properly dried.
• •Use water, not broth. The name tells you this. The flavor comes from the long-cooked onions and the olive oil. Broth would overwhelm the simplicity and miss the point entirely.
• •Your olive oil matters enormously in this soup. The finishing drizzle is where you taste it most directly. Use the best you have. A harsh or bitter oil will ruin everything.
• •In the Maremma, wild herbs like nepitella (a type of mint) sometimes appear. Fresh basil is more common outside the region. A few leaves of either, torn at the last moment, brightens the bowl.

Advance Preparation

• •The soup base of onions, tomatoes, and water can be made several hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat to a simmer before poaching the eggs.
• •Do not assemble the bowls until you are ready to serve. The bread must soak in hot broth, the eggs must be freshly poached, and everything must come together at the last moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 450g)