Zuppa Gallurese — Layered Bread and Pecorino Broth Bake

Ingredients

• For the lamb broth
• 1 whole lamb or mutton (bone-in joints, or whole small animal), rinsed
• 3 litres water, cold, to cover
• For the broth
• 1 quantity aromatics, as the broth demands — the broth must simmer a minimum of 3 hours
• For the layers
• 200 g Pane Carasau, or very stale, dense Sardinian bread; broken into large pieces
• 200 g aged Pecorino Sardo, thinly sliced
• 200 g casizolu (or primo sale, or fresh mozzarella as closest substitute), thinly sliced
• 1.2 litres hot lamb or mutton broth, strained, well-seasoned, skimmed of excess fat

Method

1. 1
   Simmer the lamb or mutton in cold water for a minimum of 3 hours. The broth is ready when it is deeply coloured, the fat rises clear, and the meat falls from the bone. Strain, skim, and season well. The broth provides all the seasoning of the dish; taste it critically before proceeding — it must be rich and pronounced.
2. 2
   Heat the oven to 180 °C. Lay a single layer of Pane Carasau pieces across the base of a deep ovenproof dish. Cover with an even layer of sliced aged Pecorino Sardo, then a layer of sliced casizolu or primo sale. Ladle hot broth over generously — the bread must be thoroughly moistened at every stage, not merely dampened. Repeat the layers — Carasau, Pecorino, fresh cheese, broth — until the dish is filled, finishing with a layer of cheese on top. Pour the remaining broth over the surface. This is where the dish lives or dies: insufficient broth now condemns the zuppa to dryness; the assembled preparation must look almost soupy before it enters the oven.
3. 3
   Cover the dish tightly and bake at 180 °C for 30 minutes. The cheese should be fully melted through and the broth visibly bubbling at the edges.
4. 4
   Remove the cover and bake for a further 15–20 minutes. The dish is ready when the top surface is golden, the edges of the Pecorino are crisped, and the broth is mostly absorbed — but the base, when a spoon is pressed to the side of the dish, should still yield a little moisture. The interior must remain rich and almost custard-like, not dry.
5. 5
   Rest the zuppa for at least 10–15 minutes before serving. The layers meld further on standing; the dish improves if made some hours ahead and reheated gently. Serve directly from the dish.