Zuppa di Agnello
(Lamb Innards Soup)
Ingredients:
1 lb. lamb innards (including liver and heart)
1 small onion
5 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbs. parsley, chopped
1 and 1/4 qts. beef broth
1 celery stalk
4 slices of bread, about l/2-in. thick
2 cloves garlic
Salt
Directions:
Rinse the meat and slice them thinly.
Make a battuto* with parsley, carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Put the battuto in a saucepan (preferably a ceramic one) with olive oil and saute lightly for a few minutes.
Add the meats (except the liver) and brown over a low heat stirring frequently.
Add the broth, stir and cook over a low heat for about 40 minutes.
About 5 minutes before everything is ready, add the liver. Add salt to taste.
Toast the slices of bread and place them into single bowls. Ladle zuppa over the slices of bread and serve. Serves 6.
*Note: A battuto is the finely chopped mixture of herbs that flavor an Italian dish. Purists use a mezzaluna, a crescent-shaped knife, and a chopping board, but you can also use a blender.