Acquacotta
Some recipes don’t go out of their way to advertise their deliciousness – and the title of this traditional Tuscan soup, which literally translates as “cooked water”, does itself few favours. It originates from the Maremma region of central Ital[ and reflects the region’s historical poverty – indeed, legend tells of a nomad being given shelter by a peasant woman and rewarding her kindness with a dish prepared, as if by magic, from meagre ingredients.
This updated version adds richness with eggs and cheese, producing an easyto-prepare dish that can be left to simmer comfortingly away for a few hours.
&iʛcult[ 2/10
%ooking time Three hours
INGREDIENTS
Four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
One clove of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
Three stalks of celery, chopped Two onions, chopped
One and a half tins of chopped tomatoes
Hot chilli pepper, to taste
A large pinch of salt
Two litres of water (plus optional vegetable stock) Assorted vegetables – we used two carrots and eight large kale leaves
Eight slices of stale bread Four eggs
Pecorino cheese, grated
METHOD
1. In a saucepan or large castiron pot, sauté the onions and the clove of garlic with the olive oil. Add the chilli pepper, tomatoes, any vegetables you wish to add and a good pinch of salt. 2. Leave to cook for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, before adding two litres of hot water (and the stock, to taste). 3. Cover and leave simmering for two and a half hours.
4. When the soup is almost ready, toast the slices of stale bread, rub them with a clove of garlic for a kick of ʚavour and tear them into pieces with your hands.
5. Distribute the bread at the bottom of four soup bowls.
6. Crack the eggs in the pot where the soup is still simmering, taking care not to break the yolk. As soon as the egg whites are firm, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and keep them warm in a dish.
7. Distribute the soup into the soup bowls over the bread slices, put an egg in the centre of each bowl and season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
8. Top with a generous sprinkling of grated pecorino cheese and serve hot.
Recipe by Leite’s Culinaria leitesculinaria.com