In this barren and cold weather, we treat ourselves to a great specialty of Italian cuisine, which was once actually the food of the oppressed. Of the many dishes of the past for the poor, have made world cuisine hits, we must admit this to our neighbors. Because if they really know something, Italians know good food. You’ve probably never heard of ribollito, a dense rustic soup mostly with vegetables, in which the spoon stands literally straight. We prepare it from winter vegetables or use what is in the fridge for it. Even old bread, a hard cheese crust, even a piece of dry meat will not be superfluous. The original reborn, prepared for you in Tuscany, is made three days before we offer it, as the heating is very essential to it. This is exactly what her name means. Ribollita – hot dish.
Its origin is interesting. In the Middle Ages, the Italian aristocracy was known for its great sacrifices, and servants served meat baked on large slices of bread instead of plates. When the joy was over and had to be cleansed, the servants brought this bread soaked in baked juices to the kitchen and used it for snacks. They cooked minestrone with vegetables and enriched it with juicy slices of bread, full of delicious roast flavor.
If you start fishing with this recipe, it’s good to know a few tricks. It will not be wrong to imitate medieval vassals and drink slices of bread with baked juice. Of course, this should be considered the day before and if, for example, we prepare a roast on Saturday, Sunday is an ideal day for ribolito, as we can help the baker with the bread we need for ribolito. If you are not lucky with the baking, you can bake and sprinkle the bread with garlic before use. There are many other things to use in this soup, such as sliced leftovers or minced beef from the soup, chopped bacon t Tuscan cabbage or black cabbage are essential to the original taste of the dish, but ribollita prima will also be curly or plain cabbage! If we have the will and time, we can fill the soup and bread in layers in a clay pot, add olive oil, cover it and put it in the hot oven for twenty minutes. If such a hot dish is sprinkled with minced parmesan cheese and smeared with lemon juice, we can not miss. The dish is actually easy to prepare, but requires a little more time. Time is a key ingredient in many of the best recipes, especially Italian ones. In the traditional kitchens there, something is constantly bubbling, getting up or resting and preparing for the “big table”. Ribollito, once a poor dish, can now be ceremoniously served as a great specialty, along with excellent wine, of course. The timing is perfect!
RIBOLLITA – THE THICKEST VEGETABLE SOUP
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PERSONS
250 g dried white beans,
1 dl olive oil,
1 medium onion,
1 large carrot,
1 green stalk,
5 cloves of garlic,
1 potato,
500 g of black cabbage,
100 g of cereal,
1 tablespoon tomato puree,
250 g black bread,
sea salt, freshly ground pepper, thyme,
parmixhano.
PREPARATION
1 Soak the beans overnight and simmer, drain and save water. If we can not do this, we use canned beans, but the result will be significantly worse.
2 Peel a squash, grate it and slice the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Peel a squash, grate it and slice it into cubes or cubes.
3 In a large large saucepan fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic together in oil. If desired, add the remaining meat to the slices. Add thyme, salt, add remaining vegetables and tomatoes. Sprinkle beans with water and simmer for an hour.
4 At the end we add the drained boiled beans and the bread which is cut into centimeter slices along with the crust. If it is too thick, add a little boiling water. Not even a big splash of white wine hurts. Stir and cook for another five minutes, then set aside. The soup can be served immediately, but if you want real refillito, let it stand for at least a few hours, preferably overnight, in the cold.
5 Then heat and let simmer very slowly for a few minutes. Serve seasoned with pepper and covered with some sprinkles of the highest quality olive oil. Sprinkle to taste with freshly ground parmesan cheese, sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with minced parsley.
Preparation and cooking time: more than 2 hours + 2 nights
OUR CHICKEN HAIR
We need it
1 kg chicken,
1 teaspoon thyme,
1 teaspoon oregano,
sea salt,
freshly ground pepper,
60 gr butter,
½ lemon (juice),
0.5 l of selected beer
(may be dark),
1 bunch of fresh parsley.
Preparation
In a bowl mix the salt, pepper, spices and lemon juice. The meat is washed well, dried with a paper towel and sprinkled with a mixture of juicy spices. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour, preferably overnight. Place a large skillet on the stove and melt the butter. When well foamed, toss the marinated thighs in the shrimp and bake on each side for 5-6 minutes. When well browned, pour the beer slowly into the pan, cover and simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes to evaporate almost all of the beer and leave a thick sauce. Serve with parsley and the selected dish.
REMOVED APPLE RINGS
We need it
1 kg of apples,
1 lemon (juice),
110 g flour,
1 pinch of sea salt,
1 teaspoon baking powder,
50 gr powdered sugar
1 nutmeg,
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1.5 dl cider (wine),
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg,
frying oil.
Preparation
Sift the flour into a bowl and mix it with the baking powder, powdered sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add the cider, add the melted butter and scrambled egg and mix well to get a completely smooth and thick liquid dough that is left to rest for a few minutes. Peel an apple, grate it and squeeze the juice. Sprinkle it with lemon juice and sprinkle with lemon juice. Coat them in dough and fry them in golden brown in hot oil on both sides. Place the fried rings on a plate lined with paper towels.
.