Lemony Cauliflower Chicken and Rice Soup

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Generously season 2½ lb. (1.1 kg) skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (6–8 thighs) all over with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Coat the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pot with extra-virgin olive oil, and heat over medium heat until the oil begins to ripple. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear until they are deeply golden and the chicken naturally releases from the pan, 10–14 minutes. Flip thighs over and cook second side until lightly seared, 2–3 minutes.

Transfer thighs to a plate and carefully (they will be hot!) peel off the skin using tongs. Place chicken skins on the sheet tray.

Bake the chicken skins for 40–45 minutes, until shatteringly crispy. Set aside to cool and then break into irregular shards and reserve for topping the soup.

Meanwhile, add 1 large yellow onion, small diced, 3 celery stalks, small diced, 1 small fennel bulb, cored and small diced, and 5 garlic cloves, minced, to the pot with the chicken drippings. Season with a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and cook until softened, 5–6 minutes. Pour in 8 cups (1.9 L) unsalted chicken broth, homemade or store-bought, and scrape up and brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Return the chicken and any accumulated drippings to the pot along with 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 lb./907 g), cored and cut into bite-size florets, 2 Parmesan rinds, and 2 dried bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked, shreddable, and has an internal temperature of at least 185°F (85°C) and the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, 40–45 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rinds. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate, and shred the meat off the bone using two forks.

Whisk 4 eggs and juice of 2 lemons in a medium bowl until homogenous. While quickly whisking the eggs, add a few ladles of the hot soup to the egg mixture to temper the mixture and bring it up to temperature without scrambling the eggs.

Whisk the tempered egg mixture into the pot of soup. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the reserved shredded chicken.

To serve, add a small scoop of cooked jasmine rice to each serving bowl and then pour the hot soup over the top. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, and top with some fresh dill fronds, freshly grated pecorino Romano, pepper, zest of 2 lemons, and crushed pieces of the reserved crispy chicken skin.