Silverbeet and
egg soupSilverbeet and egg soup SERVES 6
“Glorious, spicy acquacotta is from southern Tuscany,” says Katie. “When it was made in times
of hardship it was little more than its name suggests – ‘cooked water’. The traditional way to
make it is in a terracotta pot with layers of bread, soup and beaten egg. It’s covered and wrapped
in cloth so the residual warmth of the soup cooks the egg. This is our simple version.”⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, halved and
thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
½ cup (loosely packed) basil
1 litre (4 cups) warm chicken
or vegetable stock, or hot
water
90 gm tomato paste
1 kg silverbeet or spinach
leaves, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes,
or to taste
6 small slices thick crusty
bread, toasted
1 garlic clove, halved
6 eggs1 Heat oil in a large saucepan
covered with a lid over low
heat. Add onion, celery,
basil and a splash of stock
or water, and cook until onions
and celery are translucent
(15 minutes). Stir tomato paste
into remaining stock and
add to pan, then add greens,
chilli flakes and 1 tsp salt. Stir
until spinach wilts and soup
bubbles. Loosely cover pan
and cook until soup is well
combined (30-40 minutes).
Adjust seasoning and add
chilli flakes to taste. Remove
from heat.2 Ladle a layer of soup about
1cm deep into a wide saucepan
or casserole. Lightly rub one
side of toasts with cut side of
garlic and place in pan garlic-
side up. Spoon in remaining
soup and crack eggs on top.
Cover with a lid and cook over
medium heat until eggs have
just set (4-6 minutes). Remove
from heat and leave still covered
in a warm place so bread can
absorb the liquid (5-10 minutes).
Serve in warm bowls with an
egg for everyone.Zucchini and
tomato ragù
SERVES 6“This delicately flavoured
dish is a little like a French
ratatouille,” says Katie. “I like
to eat it in a bowl for a quick
lunch or serve it as a side dish
for grilled meat. If you leave
out the cheese it’s lovely with
grilled fish, too. Add a poached
egg and call it breakfast, or stir
in some hot pasta shells and it
will be a perfect pasta sauce. It
keeps well for a couple of days
in the fridge.” Pictured p131.6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, bruised
350 gm (about 2) zucchini, sliced
into rounds, a mixture
of green and yellow, if
available
200 gm ripe tomatoes, cut into
1cm dice
125 gm mozzarella, torn
1 cup (loosely packed) parsley,
coarsely chopped
1 cup (loosely packed) basil,
torn1 Heat oil in a non-stick
frying pan over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and
fry until onion is translucent
(10 minutes). Add zucchini,
season and toss to combine.
Stir until zucchini start to turn
golden (2-3 minutes), then
stir in tomatoes and cook
until just beginning to soften
(2-3 minutes) and zucchini
are al dente. Serve hot topped
with mozzarella and herbs.This extract from Tuscany
by Katie and Giancarlo
Caldesi, published on
2 November (Hardie Grant,
hbk, $49.99), has been
reproduced with minor
GT style changes.136 GOURMET TRAVELLER