Sopa bruta (Rustic hen Soup)
The dish owes its name sopa bruta (“dirty soup”) to the variety of offal it contains, and also to the fact that adding chopped liver gives the broth a dark, brownish hue. It was traditionally eaten during festive occasions such as the local festival or Christmas. As hen was not easily accessible, this dish was reserved for special days.
This recipe is part of the White Paper of Gastronomic Tourism in Tortosa and was provided by Margaret Nofre. It was prepared at the Hospitality School of the Dertosa High School in Tortosa by the same chef.
Ingredients
2 or 3 bones (beef or pork)
2 celery stalks, 2 parsnips, 1 leek, 1 turnip, 1 parsnip (pastinaca)
Saffron
200 g galets pasta (doesn’t need to be very large)
PREPARATION
1
First, place the hen and bones in a large pot with 2 to 3 liters of water, depending on the size of the hen. Boil gently for about 1.5 hours, skimming off the brownish foam that forms on top.
2
Next, add the cleaned vegetables, saffron, and the whole giblets (liver, gizzards, and heart), also cleaned. Let it simmer for 30 to 45 minutes on low heat.
3
Once the broth is ready, reserve half a liter and pour it into a smaller pot to cook the galets pasta.
4
Chop the liver, gizzards, and heart finely; shred the hen meat.
5
Cook the galets in the reserved broth; after about 7 minutes, add the chopped giblets and shredded hen. Continue cooking until the pasta is tender, then serve.The leftover hen can be used the next day by sautéing it with tomato and onion for a delicious meal.
