November 27, 2012 • 0

Toasted flour soup

There are apparently many versions of this Italian soup.

Mine includes the addition of walnut oil for garnish. Don’t skip this: the walnut oil really intensifies the taste of the toasted flour and it really helps this soup take off. The chives add a bit of freshness that makes this soup entertainment-worthy.

Adapted from Zuppa, from M. and GF Romagnoli.

Ingredients:

600 g potatoes, washed and thinly sliced
3 cups milk
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
150 g pancetta or salt pork, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
1/2 cup red wine or 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
Walnut oil, for garnish
Chives, for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Put the sliced potatoes, milk, water, bay leaf and one teaspoon kosher salt in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat off, remove the bay leaf and set aside.
2. In another pot, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the pancetta until golden but not crispy. Add the flour all at once and stir constantly until the flour is golden brown. The mixture will be on the dry side.
3. Add the potato liquid and stir well until smooth. Use a whisk if needed to get rid of the lumps. Add the potatoes, breaking them as you go and stir well until thick. Add the red wine or the red wine vinegar. The soup should have a creamy consistency. If it is too thick, add some water.
4. Add one quarter cup pecorino and stir.
5. Season well with salt and pepper and serve in individual bowls. Garnish with a generous amount of walnut oil, pecorino and chives.

This soup can be refrigerated for several days. Make sure you put a plastic film directly on the surface of the soup to avoid a crust from forming.