Tripe with White (Haricot) Beans (Lombardy)

Soups

Ingredients

Dressed Calf's tripe- 3-3 1/2 pounds

Onion, stuck with 2 cloves- 1 large

Celery, chopped- 3 stalks

Salt

Butter- 4 tbsp

Pork or bacon fat, diced- 4 tbsp

Onions, finely chopped- 6 small

Carrots, chopped- 2

Sage- 1 sprig

Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped- 14 oz can

Pepper

Cooked white (Haricot) beans- 3-4 cups

Grated parmesan cheese- 3/4 cup

This is a thick, rich soup and very much a local specialty.

Tripe is usually sold "Dressed", i.e. cleaned and almost completely cooked. It may have to be blanched simply for extra cleaning but even this is seldom necessary. The butcher selling the tripe should know how much has been processed.

Wash the tripe and cut it into 3 inch squares. Put it into a pan together with the onion stuck with cloves, 1 stalk of celery, chopped, a little salt and enough cold water to cover. Put on the lid and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to moderate and cook for 2 hours, or until the tripe is quite tender. Take it from the pan, cool it and cut into narrow strips.

Melt the butter and pork fat in another pan. Fry the small onions, the remaining celery, carrots and sage, stirring to mix thoroughly. As the vegetables are beginning to brown, add the tomatoes. Cook over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, add the tripe, a little salt and pepper, and 2/3 cup of hot water. Bring to the boil and cook gently for a further 30 minutes. Finally, add the beans, check seasoning and cook gently for another 15 minutes to bring out the flavors. Sprinkle generously with parmesan before serving.

Serves 6.