We may not be able to travel far at the moment but if like me, you enjoy travelling with your taste buds, I’ve plenty of delicious recipes to share with you collected on my travels. Today’s Zuppa Gallurese recipe from the Italian island of Sardinia is real comfort food at its best. It’s both tasty and filling and a great way to use up stale bread.
I first tried Zuppa Gallurese during a traditional Sardinian feast at an agriturismo in the north-east of the island. Dish after delicious dish was served to us but it was the Zuppa Gallurese, more than anything else, that stuck in my mind. I loved this savoury bread pudding (not a soup as the name suggests). And it’s a breeze to reproduce at home if you can find the right cheese that is.
This traditional peasant dish is believed to date back to the middle ages. I’ve seen recipes with different cheeses being used including Casizolu mixed with Pecorino but I’ve stuck with the recipe a Sardinian friend gave me using three different kinds of local cheese. What never varies though, is that the cheese should be from Sardinia. However, if you can’t source Sardinian cheese, any good Italian Parmagiano or Pecorino cheese will do at a pinch mixed with a cheese that melts well. You could try substituting the fontina with mozzarella or even gouda. Just don’t tell the Sardinians I said so!
The broth is traditionally made from mutton but beef, or even chicken or a mix of all three can be used, just as long as it is full of flavour.
One of the great things about this recipe is that you don’t have to be too particular about your quantities and the end result is tasty and hearty. It’s the perfect comfort food for a chilly evening in England whatever the time of year. While today the sun is shining in a glorious blue sky, I’m sure we’ve not seen the last of the chilly weather before spring finally arrives.
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Zuppa Gallurese
Ingredients
- 1 litre lamb or beef broth
- 1 loaf stale ciabatta bread
- 200 g Pecorino Fresco
- 150 g aged Pecorino
- 200 g Fontina (or another soft, creamy cheese)
- 1 handful parsley
- Several pinches freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to a medium heat.
- Heat the broth.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Grate the Pecorino.
- Cover the bottom of an ovenproof dish with the bread making sure there are no gaps.
- Cover the bread with the grated cheese, a little black pepper and parsley.
- Repeat layering the bread and cheese ending with a layer of bread.
- Slowly ladle the hot broth to wet all the bread but not to drown it. You may not need it all.
- Use the back of a spoon to gently push the bread down to soak up the broth.
- Check you have added enough broth by poking the bread with a fork. If the bread sticks to the fork you need to add a little more broth.
- Sprinkle the fontina over the top.
- Bake in a moderate oven for around 45 minutes until the cheese has melted and a crispy golden crust has formed.
- Leave to stand for about ten minutes and serve while still hot.
Notes
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This looks delicious Kat – like my kinda comfort food! Three kinds of cheese; I bet it’s a real treat, mmm!
Sounds like the perfect comfort food on a chilly day. Easy to make and tasty too – I’m saving this one!
Hasn’t the weather been wonderful lately?! Definitely one to save for a chillier day. I’m going to make my lemon pasta this weekend for the first time this year. That’s the perfect recipe for a sunny day.
Now I got a bit of free time at home, I am going to give this a bash and see what it turns out like for me. 🙂 My daughter is learning to cook (despite being nearly four…might as well give her a head start in life). 😀
That’s great that you are teaching her already. My Grandmother used to teach me. Do let me know how you get on.
My Sardegnian friends make this with fresh mint! At home in the states I think parm and provolone make decent cheese substitutions.
Thanks for those tips, Tara. Not thought of trying mint!
Hi – flying home from Sardinia and thinking about this amazing dish we had while there – which I had never had before. I’d also never had fresh pecorino before. It is SO good. Reminds me of teleme. Your recipe looks delicious! Do we add the fresh pecorino in the layers after the first one? Not seeing when to add.
Grazie!
Hi Victoria, I add both kinds together in steps 6 and 7. Please do let me know how you get on if you try making it yourself.