Italian Chicken Soup with Toasted Parmesan Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken weighing 1.3 - 1.8 kg.
• 2 medium baking potatoes (about 0.6 kg)
• 4 strips bacon, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into 1cm thick circles.
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1cm pieces.
• 24 pearl onions, peeled
• 1 small bunch of fresh thyme, tied with string
• 8 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup premium flour
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 3 cups spinach leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Bake potatoes until soft, about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken, thyme, and broth; bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Discard the thyme.
3. Remove the chicken and let it cool. Remove the meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces; cover and set aside. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes; set aside. Cut the baked potatoes in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl; mash with a fork, season with salt and pepper.
5. Sift flour over potatoes and add fried breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and nutmeg; knead into a stiff dough. Roll the dough into 1-cm-wide cylinders; cut into 1-cm-long pieces and round the edges to form oval gnocchi. Bring the soup to a simmer and drop in the gnocchi. Cook until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes; use a slotted spoon to transfer the gnocchi to warm bowls.
6. Beat the eggs with a fork; use a fork to pour the eggs into the soup in ribbons. Let set for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken, parsley, basil, and spinach, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into the dumpling bowls. Serve with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.