RECIPES & MORE

Poached Pears

With March being Women's History Month, I want to share a favorite recipe from the cookbook Food Of the Italian South by Katie Parla​

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Many South Italy dishes fall into the category known as piatti di ricupero, which roughly translates to

" dishes made from food scraps." Generally speaking, these piatti pack maximum caloric impact and use up leftovers, a necessity back when most Italians worked labor-intensive jobs in fields and needed all the nutrition they could get. Susciello combines ends of salami and other cured meats with eggs in what could be characterized as a tremendously tref shakshuka.

Some cooks scramble their eggs, while others leave them whole. I have taken the latter approach, but feel free to improvise. I like to serve it over slices of toasted Pane di Matera

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SUSCIELLO

Eggs with Salami and Tomato

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2½ ounces pancetta, diced (about ½ cup)

1 onion, roughly chopped

Sea salt

1 Italian sausage link, casing removed

2½ ounces soppressata, cut into /4-inch rounds (about ½ cup)

½ (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

6 eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the live oil in a large skillet over low heat, When the oil begins to shimmer, add the pancetta and cook until the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage and soppressata and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, season with salt, and simmer until the sauce has reduced slightly and lost its raw flavor, about 15 minutes. If the sauce seems too tight or dry, add hot water ¼ cup at a time to loosen.

One at a time, gently break the eggs into the sauce, spacing apart, cover, and cook, basting the eggs with the sauce, until whites have set but the yolks are still runny, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve