Giuseppina Acri's Wedding Soup

Got a note from Tom Lucente, friend and long-time reader, who has very kindly shared the wedding soup recipe his Mom, Giuseppina Acri, used to make.

These are the recipes I like best, because they capture the flavor of a people. But they do require a feel for the dish, so if you have never made wedding soup I suggest you check both Chris's recipe with meatballs and one of the traditional Neapolitan minestra maritata recipes to get an idea of the proportions.

A couple of observations, too:

• The q.b. Giuseppina punctuated her recipes with means quanto basta, and translates as "enough." This is standard in old Italian cookbooks (and you'll find it in some new recipes too), and though it might seem daunting to someone used to the exactitude of some North American cookbooks, it's actually refreshing, because it leaves you free to adjust the proportions of the ingredients to suit your taste.
  
  
• Sfatto means falling apart.
  
  
• For the meatballs, I would check Chris's recipe for how to prepare the mixture, as the older Neapolitan recipes I have seen just call for pulled meat. Given Tom's observation about cheese, use Romano rather than Parmigiano. Also, remember that Giuseppina didn't bake her meatballs.

Enough Introduction! Giuseppina Acri's Recipe, As Told By her Son Tom:

Chris’ wedding soup recipe will work and it is delicious. I know I am a lot older than he (it’s hard to find anyone younger these days) but I notice a vast difference in the original "brodo maritato" which is a marriage of flavors and not of lovers.....and that which is served as Wedding Soup in restaurants and sold on super market shelves.

Back then, the breast of the chicken alone was used as the principal meat in the recipe. The "bread" was never crumbs but a "mollica" (Mamma used day old English Muffins for their similarity to the wonderful dry mollica of true Italian bread) the interior of Italian type..never dried out or grated.

Of course, her recipes were usually punctuated with q.b.......quanto basta.....so here goes

• Meatballs...
• Ground breast of chicken or turkey......
• An egg
• Some chopped basil and/or parsley
• A good amount of Romano Pecorino (the Parmesan would be too rustic for this)
• The mollica from English muffins which fall apart beautifully when rubbed between the palms of your hands
• Salt and pepper.

The chicken or turkey broth was made with the rest of the chicken or turkey and the condiments were salt and black pepper with some fresh Italian parsley leaves and maybe an onion. When the meat was "sfatto" and the broth cooked, it was strained and put into a larger pot. The meat was not left in the broth but plated for later consumption. The meatballs and greens were added.

Form the meatballs, the size of large marbles and boil them in a separate pan of water with some chicken or turkey broth added for flavor. As the water boils, add the small chicken or turkey balls and when they surface, lift with a slotted spoon and add to main stock pot. (Discard the cooking water)

Once the meatballs are added we are ready for the greens....Escarole...always the wonderful sweet and sour taste of that wonderful green, is added directly into the pot..

Imagine this in a soup plate with lots of Pecorino Romano......Uncle Tony would always add some of his wine to the dish....I liked just as mama cooked it.

Dr. Thomas B. Lucente