Abruzzo
A robust bean soup from the Abruzzo hinterland — dried borlotti or cannellini beans slow-cooked with pork cotenne (rinds), local fresh sausage and lard soffritto. The cotenne dissolve their collagen into the broth, creating a viscous, silky consistency. The sausage crumbles into the soup, perfuming it with fennel and peperoncino. Served with grilled farro bread.
Silky, porky, earthy from the beans; the collagen gives almost lip-smacking unctuous texture; sausage spice perfumes throughout; the concentrated broth is the prize — soup that eats like a meal
{"Soak beans overnight; cook beans and cotenne together from the start in cold water — bringing both up together allows the collagen to dissolve gradually","Blanch cotenne before adding to the main pot — removes surface impurities and excess fat","Crumble the sausage raw directly into the pot after the soffritto — it will cook through and its fat enriches the broth","Cook uncovered for the last 20 minutes to concentrate the broth to a coating consistency","Season at the very end — cotenne and sausage are already salty; taste before adding"}
{"Reserve some beans whole and mash a third through a mouli for the best combination of texture and creaminess","A Parmigiano rind added to the pot gives umami depth without dominating","Refrigerate overnight — the cotenne collagen sets the soup to a jelly; reheat gently with a splash of broth and it becomes even better"}
{"Pre-cooking the sausage separately — the sausage juices and spices must perfume the soup during cooking","Too much liquid — this soup should be very thick, almost spoonable with a fork; thin consistency means under-reduction","Not enough cotenne — the collagen is what makes this soup extraordinary rather than ordinary"}
La Cucina Abruzzese — Tradizioni Pastorali