In the thirteenth century, when the Angevins reanchored their royal seat from Palermo to Napoli, the latter was illuminated, transformed, by the influx of a luxe new citizenry. Royals, nobles, and government bigwigs were followed by a cadre of the epoch’s great artists. Giotto and Petrarch and Boccaccio ensconced themselves in Napoli. And as they are wont to do, the masses, too, followed, hoping to stay warm, a little warmer even, inside the echoes of the city’s great, new noise. And as much as she did flourish then, also did the misery of her increase. In great part, Napoli starved under the reign of the French kings. While obscenely cinematic festivals were being staged inside the lustrous salons, the Napoletani waited outside each evening for the cooks to wallop out over the castle walls to them the viscera of the lords’ sheep and cows and pigs and goats. And from these mean stuffs did the women and men of Napoli invent their suppers. Among the dishes that became tradition during this time was zuppa di soffritto, a high-spiced potion made from the heart, spleen, and lungs of the pig and still prized by the Napoletani. Here follows a version of the good soup that asks for less exotic parts of the pig.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
With a mezzaluna or a very sharp knife, mince the pancetta, the salt pork, the rosemary, and the garlic to a fine paste. In a large terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron casserole over a medium flame, heat the paste and soften the onions to translucence, taking care to sauté them only slightly. Add the chile.
Step 2
Brown the pork now in the casserole, crusting it a bit and sprinkling on the sea salt. Add 1 cup of the wine, letting it evaporate before adding the tomato puree and the remaining wine, and bringing the soup to a gentle simmer. Cook the soup uncovered and over a low flame, for 1/2 hour.
Step 3
Heat the olive oil and brown the bread, letting it rest a moment on absorbent paper towels before placing it in a napkin-lined basket. Present the soup in its casserole along with the basket of fried bread, each guest ladling the hot, thick soup over a golden trencher laid at the bottom of his bowl.
