Fennel Soup, or Fenecchìjdde: This is a very simple thick winter soup from Puglia; it's a traditional Christmas Eve soup but is quite nice throughout the winter. To serve 4 you'll need:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 10 small fennel bulbs
- 2 salted anchovies (the kind sold from large tins in delicatessens;
- substitute 4 anchovy filets packed in oil if need be, rinsing them well)
- 1 clove garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
Preparation:
Clean the fennel bulbs, stripping away tough outer leaves if need be, quarter them, and wash them well under running water. Simmer them until soft in lightly salted water.When they are tender and almost done, lightly brown the clove of garlic in about a quarter cup of oil in a pot.
Transfer the fennel to the pot using a slotted spoon. Rinse the anchovies, bone them and crumble them into the pot. Sauté everything for a few minutes more and serve.
The wine? I'd think about a Fiano di Avellino, especially on Christmas Eve.
Note: This soup will be quite chunky if you follow the instructions exactly, and I have been asked where the moisture comes from. The moisture comes from the fennel, which will absorb water as it boils, and give it off as it sautées (this is why you transfer it quickly to the pot with a slotted spoon, rather than drain it completely with a colander). If you want a finer texture, which will also make it feel thicker, and I might, you can either briefly blend the sliced boiled fennel, or coarsely chop it, before adding it to the pot. In either case, make certain you don't loose any of the liquid that runs from the bulbs.
