Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup)

Instructions

1. Place the chicken thighs, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns in a large pot or Dutch oven. Pour in the cold water so everything is just covered.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any grayish foam that rises to the surface so the broth stays clear.
3. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken is very tender and cooked through.
4. Lift the chicken out onto a cutting board to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or second pot, discarding the vegetables and bay leaf (or reserving the carrots to add back later). Skim off excess fat from the surface.
5. Return the strained broth to the pot; you should have about 8 cups. Bring it to a gentle boil, stir in the rice, and cook uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, until the rice is tender.
6. While the rice cooks, shred or chop the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the skin and bones.
7. Once the rice is tender, stir the shredded chicken into the pot, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to the lowest setting so the soup barely simmers.
8. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously for about a minute, until pale, frothy, and well beaten. Whisk in the lemon juice until smooth.
9. Temper the eggs: ladle about ¼ cup of hot broth from the pot into the egg-lemon mixture while whisking constantly, so the eggs warm gradually without cooking. Repeat with the remaining broth, adding it a ladleful at a time and whisking after each addition, until you have worked in about 1 cup total and the mixture feels warm to the touch.
10. Turn off the heat under the soup completely. Pour the tempered egg-lemon mixture into the pot in a slow, steady stream while stirring the soup constantly with your other hand.
11. Set the pot over the lowest possible heat and stir gently for a minute or two, just until the soup thickens slightly and turns a pale, creamy yellow. Do not let it boil or even simmer briskly at this stage, or the eggs will curdle into little scrambled flecks instead of a smooth sauce.
12. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice as needed.
13. Let the soup rest off the heat for about 5 minutes; it will continue to thicken slightly as it sits.
14. Ladle into bowls and finish with chopped dill or parsley, a crack of black pepper, and lemon wedges on the side.