Sept. 2004

Mille cosedde (Legumes soup)

For 4 servings:

300 grs dried mixed legumes (chickpeas, broad beans, beans, lentils), 1 celery, 1 small cabbage, 1 carrot,
1 small onion, few dried mushrooms soaked in warm water, 10 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, grated pecorino (sheep) cheese, 300 grs short macaronis.

Soak in warm water for 24 hours the legumes, put in a pan with the diced celery and carrot, the chopped cabbage, the mushrooms and onions sliced. Pour 750 ml water, cover and let boil; cook for 1 hour and half on mild fire, add salt, pepper and 5 tablespoons oil. Cook for 1 more hour, stirring; at the end, the broth will be almost completely adsorbed.
In the meantime, boil the macaronis in plenty salted water, drain when half cooked, add to the soup ready and boil for few minutes. Take away from fire, add the remaining oil, let idle for 5 minutes and sprinkle with pecorino cheese and ground pepper.

The stronger cheese side will be better matched by a local young red like a Monica rosso, or a Grecunieddu rosso or a Mandrolisai rosso.

Gallina “su nuraghe” (Chicken country style)

For 4 servings:

1 chicken of abt. 1 kg, 1 chopped onion, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 grated nutmeg, half litre of Vernaccia wine, minced parsley, salt, country bread slices.

Empty and clean the chicken; take away pieces the neck, legs and the wings tips, cut the chicken into pieces. In a pan fry the onion in the oil, then brown the chicken pieces, adding salt and nutmeg. Soak alternating with Vernaccia and water, evaporating every time and cook on a mild fire. At end cooking, sprinkle with parsley, stir and serve on the bread slices with the bottom gravy.

The suggested wines are dry whites like a Nuragus bianco or a Vermentino di Gallura or an Ogliastra bianco.

Torta al caffè (Coffee cake)

For 4 servings:

150 grs sugar, 3 eggs,100 grs butter, 150 grs white flour, 1 tablespoon soluble (instant) coffee, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1 yeast pinch.

Mix the sugar with 1 egg and 2 yolks, add the melted butter and the sieved flour, add yeast and the whipped albumens. Dissolve the coffee in 1 tablespoon water; put half of the dough in a buttered pan, adding coffe and cocoa to the other half. Put the remainder in the pan and cook at 180°c for 40 minutes.

The suitable match is a strong sweet wine like a Passito di Alghero or the Moscato di Sorso-Sennori or a Vernaccia di Oristano liquorosa