Chick Pea Soup (Lombardy)

Soups

Ingredients

Dried chick peas, soaked overnight- 2 cups

Pig's head- 2 pounds

Butter- 4 tbsps

Onions, finely chopped- 2 small

Celery, finely chopped- 3 stalks

Clove-1

Bay leaf- 1

Dry white wine- 1 cup

Salt

Fat salt pork, diced- 3 tbsps

Carrots, finely chopped - 2

Sage - 1 sprig

Tomato paste - 4 tsp

Parsley, finely chopped - 2-3 sprigs

Cover the soaked chick peas with plenty of water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until tender. This will take up to 4 hours, depending on their age and place of origin. Drain.

Wash the pig's head thoroughly and pat it dry. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the head, half the onion and 1 stalk celery, finely chopped. Fry the head , turning it rapidly until brown all over. Add the clove, bay leaf, wine, salt to taste, and 10 cups of lukewarm water. Cover the pan and cook gently for 2 hours, skimming the top from time to time.

In another pan, saute the salt pork gently until the fat runs, then add the remaining onion and celery, the carrots and sage. When these are golden, add the chick peas. Dilute the tomato paste with the pigs head broth. Stir this into the chick peas and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Lift out the head from its broth and let it cool. Pull off the flesh and but it into thin strips. Add this to the chick peas. Bring once more to the boil, discard the sage and serve the soup sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Serves 6.