Zuppetta di porcini e patate (porcini and potato soup)
Lots of things have kept me busy since I came back from my culinary tour in Calabria: my book launch happened last week and there is a book signing event every week from now until January. But I did promise everyone in the tour group that I would remake the dishes we cooked in Calabria and give them the recipes. So today, our first rainy day in the Bay Area, seems like a good time to start. Luckily most of the recipes that we cooked are in my book, but a few were new to me. The first cooking class of the tour was held at La Tavernetta restaurant in Camigliatello Silano, in the heart of the Sila mountains. This restaurant is one of the top restaurants in Calabria and its menu focuses on dishes based on local ingredients. We spent our first day foraging for wild mushrooms and for dinner, the chef and owner Pietro Lecce demonstrated two wonderful dishes using them. This week I will give you the recipe for the soup we had. Next week I will try the appetizer we made, roasted mushroom caps filled with ricotta and herbs.
This soup really showcases the simplicity of Calabrian cooking. We used the local potatoes that grow in the Sila mountains--our closest are the Yukon gold--and porcini mushrooms.
The two star ingredients of this soup, porcini and potatoes.
Cut the potatoes in small cubes, about 3/8 -inch by 1/2 -inch
Cut the porcini, cap and stem, into small cubes
Cook the potatoes in the broth until soft
Sautee the porcini mushrooms with a sprig of fresh thyme
When the potatoes are soft add the sauteed mushrooms and finish the soup following the recipe below. Yummy!
For a printable recipe, click here.
Zuppetta di porcini e patate (Porcini mushrooms and potato soup)
1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut in small cubes, about 3/8 inch by 1/2 inch
Extra virgin olive oil
3/4 pound fresh porcini mushrooms
Sprig of fresh thyme
3 cups or more Vegetable broth or chicken broth
Salt and black pepper
In a small pot, warm up three tablespoons of olive oil. Add the cubed potatoes. Stir to coat and then add two cups of hot vegetable broth. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked and soft, about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, cut the porcini mushrooms into small cubes including the stems. In a 10 inch skillet place 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Set over high heat add the mushrooms and a sprig of thyme . Add more olive oil if dry. Saute quickly until the mushrooms are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Once the potatoes are soft stir and press against the side of the pot to smash some of them. Add the mushrooms to the potatoes and another ladle of broth. Let them cook together until the potatoes are soft enough that some start breaking apart, about 5 minutes. Stir and smash enough potatoes against the side of the potto make a thick creamy soup. Add more broth if the soup is too thick.
To serve, place a couple of ladles of the soup in a bowl and add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Add a few croutons on top of the soup, if desired.
Serves 4 to 6