Chicken soup and ‘stracciatella alla Romana’ (Roman-style egg soup)

Place the chicken pieces into a large heavy-based stockpot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, chopped tomatoes and parsley. Pour the cold water over the chicken and vegetables. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Stir the brodo di pollo (chicken soup) occasionally, skimming any scum that rises to the surface.

Remove the stockpot from the heat. Transfer the chicken pieces and vegetables to a plate.

Strain the chicken soup through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, using the back of the ladle to extract as much flavour from the onion and herbs as possible. Season with salt to taste.

Place the saucepan with strained chicken soup back onto medium heat. Bring to the boil. To make the stracciatella, whisk together the eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley in a medium-sized bowl.

To make the stracciatella, whisk together the eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley in a medium-sized bowl. Add a grating of nutmeg and sea salt to taste and whisk to combine. Add the stracciatella to the chicken soup and leave to cook for 2 minutes (without stirring) then remove from the heat. Lightly stir the stracciatella with a fork so the egg separates into chunks (if you do this too soon, the egg separates into small strands and makes the soup look grainy).

To serve, ladle hot stracciatella and chicken soup into bowls– buon appetito.