"Cooked Water" Soup: Acquacotta

Preheat the grill or broiler. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened. Add the stock and tomatoes, season with half the thyme and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. Add the mushroom slices and simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the bread on the grill or broiler and place 1 in each of 4 warm soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the bread slices and top with the remaining thyme , chives and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan , heat the oil over high heat until smoking. Add all the chicken parts and brown all over, stirring to avoid burning. Remove the chicken and reserve. Add the carrots, onions, and celery to the pot and cook until soft and browned. Return the chicken to the pot and add 3 quarts of water, the tomato paste, peppercorns, and parsley . Stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned chicken and vegetables bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring almost to a boil , then reduce heat and cook at a low simmer until reduced by half, about 2 hours, occasionally skimming excess fat. Remove from heat, strain , and press on the solids with the bottom of a ladle to extract out all liquids. Stir the stock to facilitate cooling and set aside. Refrigerate stock in small containers for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.