Molise
A robust Molisan pork-and-bean soup built on dried borlotti beans slow-cooked with cotiche (pork rind) until the rinds dissolve into a gelatinous, collagen-rich broth. Soffritto of lard, onion and chilli forms the base; beans are soaked overnight and added raw to absorb the pork fat as they cook. Finished with a drizzle of local Molise olive oil.
Earthy, porky, mildly spiced with chilli; broth is unctuous and thick, beans are buttery and intact — peasant food elevated by patience
{"Soak dried borlotti at least 12 hours; change water once to remove oligosaccharides","Score cotiche in a cross-hatch pattern before blanching to render surface fat and tenderise","Cook at a bare simmer — never boil — to keep beans intact while softening the pork rind","Add salt only in the final 20 minutes to prevent bean skins from toughening","Finish with raw extra-virgin olive oil off heat to preserve fruity top notes"}
{"A Parmigiano rind added during cooking enriches the broth without overpowering the pork","Pass 15% of the cooked beans through a mouli and stir back in for natural creaminess without cream","Rest the soup 30 minutes before serving — flavours integrate and fat redistutes evenly"}
{"Boiling vigorously, which bursts beans and creates a starchy, cloudy broth","Salting too early, causing beans to tighten and cook unevenly","Skipping the blanching step for cotiche, leaving the soup with an unpleasant grease slick"}
La Cucina Molisana — Tradizioni e Sapori