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Ingredients
FOR THE BROTH
3-to-4 pound chicken
2 pounds beef shank
2 pounds short ribs
1 red onion
1 white onion
3 stalks celery
1 ripe tomato
2 bay leaves
3 stems parsley
1 teaspoon salt
4 black peppercorns
4 cups chicken broth
6 cups cold water
4 carrots
4 potatoes
4 leeks, rinsed, trimmed and cut in half
FOR THE CHICKEN SAUSAGE
3 whole chicken breasts, boned
¼ teaspoon, plus a dash, freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup Parmesan cheese
⅔ pound mortadella, thinly sliced
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE MINESTRA DI SEMOLINA
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup Cream of Wheat
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon milk, with 3 additional tablespoons if necessary
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Step 1
Place the chicken, beef shank, short ribs, red and white onions, celery, tomato, bay leaves, parsley, salt and peppercorns in a large pot. Add the chicken broth and the cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Step 2
While the broth is simmering, make the sausage. Place the chicken breasts and the nutmeg in a food processor and use the pulse button to coarsely chop the mixture. Do not overprocess: this will yield a weird, spongy, bolognalike creation. When coarsely chopped, add the Parmesan, mortadella, parsley, garlic, eggs, salt and pepper and pulse briefly to combine. Shape this mixture into a log about 3 to 4 inches in diameter, wrap securely in cheesecloth and, after the broth has cooked for 45 minutes, add the sausage to the broth.
- Step 3
Peel and cut the carrots into 2-inch chunks. Peel and cut the potatoes into 2-inch chunks. Forty-five minutes after the sausage has been added to the pot, add the carrots, potatoes and leeks and cook for 30 minutes.
- Step 4
While the vegetables are cooking, make the minestra di semolina. Place the lightly beaten eggs in a bowl, add the Cream of Wheat and stir to combine. Add the Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of milk, the butter, the salt and pepper and whisk. The mixture should resemble a thick pancake batter. Add more milk, if necessary, to achieve this texture. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the batter, smoothing to make one even layer. Cook for 1 minute, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 4 more minutes. Gently turn the pancake, cook for 3 minutes on the second side, turn out onto a plate and cool.
- Step 5
Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the carrots, potatoes and leeks from the broth. Arrange on a warm platter, cover lightly with broth to avoid drying and keep warm. Remove the sausage, unwrap it, cut it into ½-inch slices and arrange them on a platter along with the beef shank, ribs and chicken, hacked into serving-size pieces.
- Step 6
Strain the broth and return it to medium heat. Skim off any visible fat. Boil until the broth has reduced to 8 cups, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 7
While the broth is simmering, use a sharp knife to cut the minestra di semolina into ¼-inch chunks. Serve the broth liberally garnished with minestra di semolina as a first course, followed by the boiled meat and vegetables with the green and the red sauces below.
Private Notes