There will be plenty who will object to this as being unauthentic but minestrone literally means "big soup" and there is no universally agreed recipe so I'm sticking with it. It's a good way to use up the remains of a (Christmas?) ham, especially if you have simmered in water before baking it and kept the water back.
It's very simple: cut onions, celery and carrots into small chunks and garlic into even small ones. Add them to a large pan with some olive oil and cook on a medium heat until everything has wilted. Add ham, also chopped into small pieces and potatoes (the sort you would use for roasts) into larger ones. A large teaspoon of mixed herbs too and some ground black pepper. Mix it all round for a couple of minutes then add a good slug of wine, boil down then add the ham stock and some tomato purée (for colour as much as anything) and let it simmer until the potatoes (and all the other vegetables) are soft but not mushy.
Serve with grated parmesan and a hunk of good bread. And a glass of rustic Italian red, of course.
I have not added quantities as, really, this is one of those meals you make with whatever is hanging around in the fridge to use things up. Some add beans (huh? Don't think of offering any to me) or macaroni (okay if you must). There are no rules other than this is a soup (I have made it as a thick stew before now: lovely but it doesn't look great as a dollop in the middle of a bowl).
 |
This is it before liquids were added - a great range of colours, isn't it? The wine really should be Italian so enjoy this with a rustic red such as Tenute Rubino's Oltremé or Fabrizio Battaglino's Barbera. If you want to go French, then Château Juvenal's Garrigue would be a good match. Note that none of these wines are expensive. The stew packs in so much flavour, the wine is just another one to add to the melange. |
0 comments