INTRODUCTION
Minestra is a word that resonates more deeply within the Italian soul than almost any other in the language. When Italy was a poor country, minestra was for most of its people the whole meal: the word was synonymous with survival. But this IS a glorious soup: when served with good bread it makes a very warming dish in winter months. It closely resembles minestra di farro but uses prosciutto crudo and oregano and skips the addition of freshly grated parmesan cheese at table. The dish benefits from being made in advance and re-heated.
Wine served with this soup should be red and young.
INGREDIENTS
Stage 1 ingredients
110 g (4 oz) farro
water for soaking the farro
300 g (10.5 oz) dried chickpeas
water for soaking the chickpeas
Stage 2 ingredients
1 medium sized red onion
2 small sticks of celery
4 x 1 cm "cube" (1.6 x 0.4 inches) of prosciutto crudo (Parma ham)
3 - 4 Tablespoons of best quality Olive Oil
1 L (1.75 pints) broth
½ L (0.85 pints) water
3 - 4 Tablespoons of chickpea liquid, or as required
2 - 3 small sprigs of fresh oregano
fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
best quality Olive Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Stage 1 cooking instructions
Place the chickpeas in a ceramic pot with 8 - 10 times their volume of water. Soak and leave overnight.
Place the emmer wheat in a pot, wash well with water and soak for a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 24 hours.
Stage 2 cooking instructions
The following day bring the chickpeas slowly to a boil and simmer for two - three hours, or until tender. Ensure the chickpeas do NOT boil dry. Drain into a colander sitting on a large bowl. Reserve the liquid and put to one side.
Peel the onion and remove any 'strings' from the celery. Coarsely slice the onion and celery and finely chop with a mezzaluna. Remove any excess fat from the prosciutto crudo, finely slice into matchsticks and add to the onion and celery mix. This is the battuto/mire-pois.
Heat the oil (best quality) in a large non-stick pot under a medium heat, add the battuto/mire-pois and stir well. Cook for 5 - 6 minutes stirring frequently until the onions are translucent.
Snip the oregano leaves, discard the stalks. Put to one side.
Drain the emmer wheat and add to the pot. Stir well. Add the oregano and again stir well. Add the stock and circa 50% of the water. Stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook over a VERY low heat for 1½ - 2 hours or until the emmer wheat is tender stirring well from time to time. Add additional water as required during the cooking period.
Meanwhile take the chickpeas, empty into a blender and add sufficient chickpea liquid to ensure the chickpeas can be reduced to a thick, smooth purée.
When the emmer wheat is tender, add the chickpea purée to the soup and stir well. Depending on the density of the soup add additional chickpea liquid. Stir well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Empty into a tureen and serve hot.
At table ladle out the soup into individual dishes - diners season their soup by dribbling oil (best quality) over it. Serve with good bread.
COMMENTS
Emmer wheat (also known as farro) is readily available in Northern and Central Italy but there may be difficulties sourcing it in other countries. First try your local Italian deli and then your local health food shop. Treat it like basmati rice both in its storage and in its initial preparation - some emmer wheat can be very dusty and thus must be washed well and, to ensure the grains do not stick to the pot, soaking it for at least 12 hours is recommended.
Always use a ceramic pot when cooking beans. To ensure the pot does not crack, remember to bring it slowly to the boil - we place a riser on top of a hot plate to further slow the initial heating process.
The emmer has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the non-stick pot, no matter how low the fire is. Be careful; the suggested manner is to cook the soup in a ceramic pot, but only do this if you have the time to sit by the cooker and stir, stir, stir..."Stir and stir again" are indeed the watchwords for this dish.
The cooking period for both the chickpeas and the emmer wheat greatly depends on freshness. If you know the emmer wheat you are using is very fresh use half the quantities of broth and water at the outset, topping up as needs be during the cooking process.
Use an end piece of prosciutto crudo - invariably these can be found in deli's at reduced prices.
Best quality Olive Oil provides depth of flavor; this is particularly apparent when it is added as a dressing at table.
This is a soup that is best left to cook in the background whilst doing other work in the kitchen - it is not a demanding recipe but it does need a eye kept on it from time to time.
If making it in advance, save some of the reserved chickpea liquid and add a few tablespoons when reheating. Taste for seasoning.
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