Acquacotta ai Funghi

As the weather turns abnormally cold (we have already been having lows which are colder than a normal December here), thoughts by necessity turn to soup, and this is the one soup we've done in class that I continue to dream of. Since I wouldn't call myself a mushroom girl, this fact is especially surprising. But it has a lot going for it.

The term "acquacotta" literally means "cooked water", a reference to this soup's poor Tuscan background. Note the addition of a variety of elements to try and add some extra content and calories to the soup without much cost: eggs, cheese, bread; but it is these elements which make the soup so awesome.

For 4-6 people:
1 lb fresh mushrooms (preferably porcini)
2/3 lb fresh peeled and seeded tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 yellow onions sliced thin
marjoram, pref. fresh (originally done with nepitella, an herb indigenous to Tuscany). Can also substitute with any other fresh herb.
4 T olive oil
2/3 cup white wine
one slice of toasted, crusty bread for each person
red pepper flakes
grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan if you don't have pecorino)
2 quarts stock (or water with some veggies thrown in if you don't have it)
one egg per person
salt

Sweat the onions on a low heat in the olive oil until tender. Add the wine and tomatoes and let reduce about halfway. Add the garlic and the stems of the mushrooms (if using mushrooms with harder stems than caps. If they're all the same, add all the mushrooms now). Let cook for a minute, then add 1 1/2 quarts of the broth, add the marjoram, and let sit at a low simmer for at least 10 minutes. Add the mushroom caps, if they aren't already in there, and let cook for another 20 minutes.

This soup ideally is served in individual bowls or ramekins. Place a slice of bread at the bottom of each bowl, top the bread with cheese, then soup, then crack the egg on top, then layer with more cheese and place the bowl in a broiler oven until the white of the egg has just set. Serve hot!