Ingredients
For the broth:
- 3-to-4 pound chicken
- 2 pounds beef shank
- 2 pounds short ribs
- 1 red onion
- 1 white onion
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 ripe tomato
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 stems parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 black peppercorns
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 6 cups cold water
- 4 carrots
- 4 potatoes
- 4 leeks, rinsed, trimmed and cut in half
For the chicken sausage:
- 3 whole chicken breasts, boned
- ¼ teaspoon, plus a dash, freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- ⅔ pound mortadella, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the minestra di semolina:
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup Cream of Wheat
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon milk, with 3 additional tablespoons if necessary
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
1627 calories; 100 grams fat; 37 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 42 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 60 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 115 grams protein; 473 milligrams cholesterol; 2133 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Eight servings
Preparation
- Place the chicken, beef shank, short ribs, red and white onions, celery, tomato, bay leaves, parsley, salt and peppercorns in a large pot. Add the chicken broth and the cold water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- While the broth is simmering, make the sausage. Place the chicken breasts and the nutmeg in a food processor and use the pulse button to coarsely chop the mixture. Do not overprocess: this will yield a weird, spongy, bolognalike creation. When coarsely chopped, add the Parmesan, mortadella, parsley, garlic, eggs, salt and pepper and pulse briefly to combine. Shape this mixture into a log about 3 to 4 inches in diameter, wrap securely in cheesecloth and, after the broth has cooked for 45 minutes, add the sausage to the broth.
- Peel and cut the carrots into 2-inch chunks. Peel and cut the potatoes into 2-inch chunks. Forty-five minutes after the sausage has been added to the pot, add the carrots, potatoes and leeks and cook for 30 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, make the minestra di semolina. Place the lightly beaten eggs in a bowl, add the Cream of Wheat and stir to combine. Add the Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of milk, the butter, the salt and pepper and whisk. The mixture should resemble a thick pancake batter. Add more milk, if necessary, to achieve this texture. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the batter, smoothing to make one even layer. Cook for 1 minute, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 4 more minutes. Gently turn the pancake, cook for 3 minutes on the second side, turn out onto a plate and cool.
- Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the carrots, potatoes and leeks from the broth. Arrange on a warm platter, cover lightly with broth to avoid drying and keep warm. Remove the sausage, unwrap it, cut it into 1/2-inch slices and arrange them on a platter along with the beef shank, ribs and chicken, hacked into serving-size pieces.
- Strain the broth and return it to medium heat. Skim off any visible fat. Boil until the broth has reduced to 8 cups, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- While the broth is simmering, use a sharp knife to cut the minestra di semolina into 1/4-inch chunks. Serve the broth liberally garnished with minestra di semolina as a first course, followed by the boiled meat and vegetables with the green and the red sauces below.
3 hours
Dining and Cooking