Escarole soup with mini meatballs

Heat a drizzle of light olive oil in a dutch oven and add the chicken thighs before the oil is very hot, so the skin renders as the temperature rises; cook on medium, salt the other side, about 10 minutes until browned.

Cut carrots and celery into large pieces and peel and quarter the onion, so they can be lifted out later; no garlic in the broth.

Remove the chicken and pour off the rendered fat, about a third of a cup, keeping the fond.

Add about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and saute the vegetables a few seconds until fragrant.

Add a lot of water to lift the fond, a good pinch of salt and the parsley stems, and return the chicken. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently, covered, for a couple of hours, until the meat falls off the bone.

Remove the chicken and fish out the vegetables, leaving a clear broth.

For the meatballs, rehydrate breadcrumbs in milk; mix with the ground beef, a grated garlic clove, a good pinch of salt, the egg, parsley and a good amount of Parmesan.

Roll very tiny meatballs and drop them into the broth, or set them on a plate first; it takes about 20 minutes.

Cut the chicken into small shreds by hand and add it; simmer about 45 minutes.

Wash two bunches of escarole very thoroughly, chop, and wash again in a sink of water in a couple of batches to remove grit.

Add the escarole to the hot broth and cook about 20 minutes as it wilts.

Whisk a couple of eggs with about a quarter cup of grated Parmesan and black pepper, no salt; thin with a little of the hot stock.

With the soup on high heat, stir the egg mixture in so it runs through the soup; cook about a couple of minutes more.