lentils from Castelluccio
A little while ago, I talked about fagiolina del Lago Trasimeno, a legume typical of my home region of Umbria that is not widely known. Much more famous are the lentils grown in the upland around the town of Castelluccio. These are actually the only lentils I knew growing up. My mother always cooks them, together with cotechino, on New Year's Eve. In fact, lentils are supposed to represent money, and, in general, good luck in the year that is about to begin.
Castelluccio is not far from the town of Norcia, famous for several reasons. It is the birthplace of San Benedetto (Saint Benedict), founder of Western monasticism and patron saint of Europe. Il tartufo nero di Norcia (black truffle) is a prized local product. The word norcino (literally, the man from Norcia) in Italian indicates a butcher specialized in pork meat: based on this piece of information, you can imagine how good salumi are in this corner of Italy.
I have found that Mario Batali is also a fan of the little Castelluccio lentils, which, thanks to their small size, don't require soaking before cooking. In the photo, I have placed regular green lentils (left) and lenticchie di Castelluccio side to side to allow size comparison. I am able to purchase these lentils in the Bay Area, and assume they are available in other locations. As you can imagine, they are more expensive than regular lentils, but they are such a treat!
I decided I wanted to make soup with my beloved lentils. While looking around for inspiration, I came across a recipe for zuppa di lenticchie di Castelluccio that includes chicken. I liked the idea of puréeing half of the lentils and so I did the same. My soup is vegetarian and, if one omits the cheese, I guess it is vegan.
I cooked one cup of lenticchie di Castelluccio in two cups of water for half an hour. In the meantime, in a pot, I warmed up some oil then added to it a medium onion, a carrot and a rib of celery, all chopped. This is pretty much my standard base for vegetable soups, which I use when I prepare, for example, winter squash soup. After a few minutes, I covered the pot and let the vegetables cook until soft, 10 minutes or so. I added two cups of water, a teaspoon of ground cumin and half a teaspoon of smoked paprika, then cooked for another 10 minutes. I had not used smoked paprika before, and decided it was time to try. I think I was a bit shy with it, so next time I will use one teaspoon. [Update: indeed, I am now using one teaspoon of smoked paprika.]
I puréed half the lentils with the vegetables and their broth, then added the whole lentils and brought everything to a nice, hot temperature. I adjusted the salt and then served the soup sprinkled with some of my homemade cheese, a Colby this time (made according to the recipe in the book Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll, omitting the cheese coloring). I made this cheese in early January and let it age slightly more than two months. I am very pleased about its texture and flavor, so much so that I am making it again soon.
This is my submission for My Legume Love Affair - Ninth Helping, the popular, legume-centered event that is the brainchild of Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook and is hosted this month by Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.
This page has the roundup of the event.
Hear me pronounce the words on the lenticchie di Castelluccio audio file [mp3] or go to the lenticchie di Castelluccio audio page for more listening options.
