AUTHENTIC  ITALIAN  RECIPES

 FROM

 RISTORANTE  d'ANNAMARIA

Minestra Maritata  (Married Soup): This soup can be eaten any time but is generally eaten in the winter because of its hearty characteristics. It gets its name from the fact that all the ingredients are married together in a fairly long preparation process. Never fear, it won't take several days but it will take the better part of a morning or afternoon.  For the strict traditionalist, this soup is eaten by many Neapolitans on Christmas day.

Ingredients for 8 persons

Beef chuck roast                                             2 pounds

Pork loin                                                        2 pounds

Pig tail (If you can find it)                             1

Hambone                                                       1

Ham (Lean, Smoked)                                      8 ounces

Pork Rind                                                       8 ounces

Italian Sausage (mild, not sweet)                   10 ounces

Italian sausage (hot, not sweet)                     10 ounces

Stewing Chicken                                            1 small (3 or 4 pounds)

Borage                                                           12 ounces

NOTE:  The bright blue, star-shaped flowers (which bloom most of the summer) make borage one of the prettiest herb plants, thought the dark green leaves are rather plain. The flavor of the leaves resembles that of cucumber. The plant will grow to a height of about 18 inches, and spread about 12 inches. This hardy annual has a messy, straggling habit. It is a native of northern Europe, and grows well in the temperate regions of North America. If you can find it, buy it. If you can't find it, grow it. If you can't or don't wish to do either, just omit it from the soup or try substituting another herb of your choice. The absence of this herb, however, won't ruin the soup.

Chicory leaves                                                 1 pound

Escarole                                                           2 pounds

Cabbage                                                           2 medium (6 in. diameter)

Parmesan cheese                                              8 ounces

Caciocavallo cheese                                         6 ounces

NOTE 2: If you can't find Caciocavallo at a local super market or specialty shop, just click on the link to order online from Amazon.com:  Caciocavallo Cheese

How To Do It                                             

In three separate pots-

Boil the chuck roast, the various pork meats, and the chicken. ( You are going to be making three different meat broths)

You can start with the chuck roast:

Cover the roast with cold water and bring to a boil.

Reduce the flame and simmer for about three hours.

Put this beef broth aside.

Now for the chicken broth.

Follow the same procedure as you did for the beef broth.

Finally the pork broth.

This is a little more demanding.

In a large pot, cover the hambone with cold water.

Bring just to a boil, drain the water and recover the hambone with cold water.

Now add the lean ham to the hambone and repeat the process of bringing it just to a boil and draining the water.

Recover these two meats in cold water,  add the remaining pork meats except the loin and tail.

Bring once again to a boil.

Drain the water and recover all once again with cold water.

Add the loin and tail and simmer for 3 or 4 hours.

In a fourth pot, cover all the cleaned vegetables with cold water.

Bring to a boil and cook until all the vegetables ar very tender. Drain the vegetables and squeeze the excess water from them in a collander.

Remove the meat from the three broths and combine all three in a large pot. Clean the chicken and put the meat in the broth.

Add the cooked beef to the broth.

Add the vegetables to the pot of combined  broths.

Bring this all to a simmer and cook for another hour.

Skim off the excess fat sitting on the surface of the broth.

Just before serving, add the the boiled pork meats that you boiled to make the broth.

Serve hot garnished with grated parmesan and caciocavallo.

As you can see, this is a demanding recipe, but it can be done the day before.

Maybe this is why Neapolitans eat this only on Christmas.

Buon Appetito!