Friday, February 22, 2019

A Family Classic Updated

One of my favorite dishes growing up was zuppa di montagna. It's a simple layered bread and cheese casserole,made moist with the addition of vegetable broth. I've been making it in the microwve for the last few years I decided to make it in the oven this time.
There was one problem though, no one has ever written down the recipe which was my Piedmontese great grandmother's and probably made for centuries before her. I scoured the internet until I found a comparable recipe on Our Italian Table. It was a take on the Sardinian version zuppa Gallurese.
It starts with cubing French or Italian bread. Mine was so stale, it was an easy snap.
It's then making the broth. I made two cups using Herb-Ox vegetable bouillon
The next step is super easy -layering.It's bread  Swiss cheese , a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and,broth .Repeat  the four ingredients  in an olive oil greased  glass dish.I used Sargento Baby Swiss slices which is the best. You can add a layer of Savoy cabbage too for more authenticity. Kale and Swiss chard would work.
It's then popping in the oven for forty-five minutes at 325 degrees Farenheit. I had to lower the temperature because I used s glass dish. Always lower the temp by 25 degrees when using glass.
It bubbled up into brown crusty goodness.
The flavor was amazing. I loved the texture too.
It was chewy , gooey and even crunchy. This is the recipe I'd recommend to every home chef.

If you're looking for a comforting winter dish on a cold night - this is it. It's easy and delicious .. Best of  all it has two kinds of cheese and Italian bread.

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