Acquacotta

Acquacotta is diffused in all Tuscan areas, but above all in Maremma, that corresponds almost entirely to the Grosseto province.
It is considered as a first course, but in the past it was prepared as a unique course by peasants with the few food they had, so it could be different from a place to another. It usually contained stale bread, eggs and onions, because they were the most commonly used food in poor families.

Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 3 big onions
- 6 celery stalks
- some celery leaves
- 750 gr of tomatoes
- salt
- pepper
- 8 slices of stale bread
- 4 eggs
- grated parmisan or pecorino cheese

Directions:
Fry lightly some oil with the onion finely chopped together with the celery stalks and leaves and make them become brown. Add 750 gr of tomatoes (peeled and seedless), salt and pepper and make them cook for 20 minutes. Afterwards pour the mix inside a pot of salted boiling  water (about 1 liter) and make it boil.
In the meanwhile toast or fry 8 slices of stale bread and put them on the bottom of a terracotta recipient. When the soup tastes good (after about 30 minutes), pour it onto the bread slices and cook everything over a low flame. Crack 4 eggs onto the soup, paying attention not to break the yolks. As soon as the eggs are ready, spread grated parmisan or pecorino on it and serve.