![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
It's been a long time.
WARNING: This is NOT a dish suitable for vegans and vegetarians (and I am pretty sure you can't substitute the main ingredient with a vegan or vegetarian version either).
For 4 persons
1 litre home-made meat (or mixed meat/veg) broth (oxtail would be perfect)
1 thick (2 to 3 cm) slice of “coppa di testa” (aka brawn or head cheese) (the best quality you can find)
1 small piece of orange zest
1 pinch of ground clove
1 generous pinch of piment d'Espelette
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 generous pinch of allspices powder
1 generous grinding of black pepper
! table spoon of olive oil
Optional:
1 piece of star anise
Pour the broth in a large pan, and place the slice of “coppa di testa” in it, with the orange zest and the spices. Bring the broth to a simmer and let the “coppa” dissolve in it, stirring every now and then until all pieces have become loose. Reduce the heat and let the orange peel and spices infuse for 15 minutes.
Strain your broth - over a deep dish - with a fine meshed sieve. Reserve the meat and let it cool slightly.
If you are in for a show, filter the broth so it gets clear. If nobody around the table really cares about appearances, you can keep the broth as is (you can see in the previous picture that I did not bother with the filtering bit). It's just as nice if not nicer (for one, the piment flakes are staying in).
Try it and add salt and pepper to taste. Return the broth to the pan and keep warm.
Slice the bigger pieces of “testa” into strips. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meat over a medium heat, so it becomes slightly crispy.
Serve the soup and divide the crispy meat into 4, putting a serving in the middle of each plate. Eat immediately.
NOTE:
The fragrant meat jelly contained in the “coppa di testa” adds flavour and texture to your broth and - it's the wonderful chemistry of it all - helps capture the essential oils in the spices. The sauteing of the meat strips adds a little crunch to the dish and the fatter pieces also lose some grease this way – always a boon. The quality of the brawn itself is paramount, so it is well worth hunting for the best you can find.
This soup is inspired by this one, the "Quinto Quarto d'Autunno" from chef Massimo Bottura, which I was fortunate enough to try at the Gazzetta Gastronomica's event "Minestre d'Autore", last December:
I do believe his version had the star anise which I did not use (but conversely was missing my orange peel. Ha.) and I know it had morels in it (you can see one in the picture, actually). And I bet the man makes his own brawn too!
In any versions, this is the perfect hearty soup for the cold and soggy spring we're having right now.
Provided - of course - you are neither vegan nor vegetarian.
WARNING: This is NOT a dish suitable for vegans and vegetarians (and I am pretty sure you can't substitute the main ingredient with a vegan or vegetarian version either).
For 4 persons
1 litre home-made meat (or mixed meat/veg) broth (oxtail would be perfect)
1 thick (2 to 3 cm) slice of “coppa di testa” (aka brawn or head cheese) (the best quality you can find)
1 small piece of orange zest
1 pinch of ground clove
1 generous pinch of piment d'Espelette
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 generous pinch of allspices powder
1 generous grinding of black pepper
! table spoon of olive oil
Optional:
1 piece of star anise
Pour the broth in a large pan, and place the slice of “coppa di testa” in it, with the orange zest and the spices. Bring the broth to a simmer and let the “coppa” dissolve in it, stirring every now and then until all pieces have become loose. Reduce the heat and let the orange peel and spices infuse for 15 minutes.
Strain your broth - over a deep dish - with a fine meshed sieve. Reserve the meat and let it cool slightly.
If you are in for a show, filter the broth so it gets clear. If nobody around the table really cares about appearances, you can keep the broth as is (you can see in the previous picture that I did not bother with the filtering bit). It's just as nice if not nicer (for one, the piment flakes are staying in).
Try it and add salt and pepper to taste. Return the broth to the pan and keep warm.
Slice the bigger pieces of “testa” into strips. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meat over a medium heat, so it becomes slightly crispy.
Serve the soup and divide the crispy meat into 4, putting a serving in the middle of each plate. Eat immediately.
NOTE:
The fragrant meat jelly contained in the “coppa di testa” adds flavour and texture to your broth and - it's the wonderful chemistry of it all - helps capture the essential oils in the spices. The sauteing of the meat strips adds a little crunch to the dish and the fatter pieces also lose some grease this way – always a boon. The quality of the brawn itself is paramount, so it is well worth hunting for the best you can find.
This soup is inspired by this one, the "Quinto Quarto d'Autunno" from chef Massimo Bottura, which I was fortunate enough to try at the Gazzetta Gastronomica's event "Minestre d'Autore", last December:
I do believe his version had the star anise which I did not use (but conversely was missing my orange peel. Ha.) and I know it had morels in it (you can see one in the picture, actually). And I bet the man makes his own brawn too!
In any versions, this is the perfect hearty soup for the cold and soggy spring we're having right now.
Provided - of course - you are neither vegan nor vegetarian.