How to make Italian meatball and egg soup

Here is the amazing Sciusceddu or Italian meatball and egg soup. This recipe for ricotta meat balls is delicate, yet very appetizing.

Servings: Serves 4

Total Time: 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups meat broth ****
• 7 oz veal meat, chopped
• 2 oz breadcrumbs
• 3 ½ oz caciocavallo cheese, grated
• 3 eggs
• 3 ½ oz ricotta cheese
• parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Make a mixture of minced meat, one egg, breadcrumbs, half of the grated Caciocavallo cheese (or Parmesan), chopped parsley and a little water; then form meatballs about the size of a small egg.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the Ricotta cheese previously sieved, the remaining Caciocavallo cheese and a dash of salt and pepper.
3. Bring the broth to the boil and dump the meatballs in.
4. Cook for about twenty minutes, then add the egg mixture, stirring vigorously for a few moments.
5. Remove from heat and serve the “sciusceddu” or Italian meatball and egg soup piping hot.

**** HOW TO MAKE MEAT BROTH

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 cups water
• 10 oz beef
• ¼ hen, or capon
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 onion
• 1 clove
• 1 carrot
• 5 stalks parsley

METHOD:

Cooking time: 3 to 6 hours

We recommend that you use one or a combination of the following cuts of beef: chuck, hanger, round, flank steak, beef shank. For the capon or hen meat, any part of the bird will work. You can even use a whole bird if it has been cleaned well and had its interiors removed.

1. To prepare the broth, begin by filling an earthenware, or otherwise thick-bottomed pot, with cold water.
2. Add the meat and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
3. If you like stronger flavors, you can add beef bones to the pot as well.
4. Then place the pot over very low heat and bring to a simmer.
5. Salt lightly and begin to skim the pot with a skimmer or slotted spoon, removing any impurities that have risen to the top.
6. Once the broth is completely clean and clear, remove the pot from the heat and let cool.
7. Then bring back to a simmer over low heat, adding the celery, peeled carrot and parsley.
8. Push the clove into the onion, so that it will be easy to remove at the end of cooking.
9. Cover the pot and cook over very low heat for at least 3 hours, or longer, if necessary.
10. Just before removing the pot from the heat, salt the broth with coarse sea salt.
11. Then filter the broth through a chinois.
12. Let the broth cool down to room temperature.
13. A layer of fat should form on the top of the broth.
14. Use a slotted spoon to remove some or all of the fat, depending on whether you want a fat-free broth or not.

Source: Academia Barilla

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