by Luigi Casali
In the photo: Scene of daily life in a camp. On the left two soldiers are drinking while waiting to eat, two others are playing dice on a drum. On the right in two large pots some meat is boiling and soup is being prepared that a vivandière serves on a wooden plate.
The Birth of Zuppa alla Pavese. The Ingredients of Zuppa alla Pavese. The “Rule of Zuppa”.
The Birth of Zuppa alla Pavese
The birth of “Zuppa alla Pavese” is linked to the battle of Pavia, which according to legend was served to Francis I by a peasant woman from the Repentita farm where the king had been taken immediately after his capture. Francis I was distraught by the defeat and slightly wounded in his left hand.
After having him sit in front of a fireplace, where we can imagine a nice fire was burning, the imperial officers ordered the frightened peasant woman to bring food to the illustrious prisoner. Then the peasant woman prepared the little she had in her poor pantry for the requel. She put a pot on the fire where some broth was kept; then she took some stale wholemeal bread, cut a couple of slices and toasted them. Then she placed the bread in a wooden bowl, broke a raw egg on top and poured the boiling broth into the bowl, to which perhaps she had just added a few leaves of watercress. The soup, legend has it, was much appreciated by the king who was refreshed and invigorated by it.
The ingredients of Zuppa alla Pavese
At this point the question arises spontaneously as to what type of broth was used to prepare the soup for Francis I. Very unlikely a meat broth, unthinkable in a 16th century farmhouse, more likely vegetable or chicken broth, or rather chicken or hen carcass, including head, feet and bones, without skin, perhaps flavoured with abundant watercress leaves, which even in winter abounded along the banks of the numerous small watercourses that cut across the surface of the Visconti Park; if eaten raw, it has a slightly spicy flavour.
However things really went, since then the recipes for “Zuppa Pavese”, or alla pavese, have multiplied with countless variations relating above all to the composition of the broth. Some speak of chicken broth, others of vegetable broth, others still, and they are the largest number, of meat broth, certainly tastier but less adherent to the supposed original recipe. Only rarely do we find references to crescione as one of the ingredients. Some also add parmesan or grana padano. In this regard, it should be noted that at the time of the Battle of Pavia these cheeses had already existed for centuries. Contemporary chroniclers from Pavia inform us that during the siege of 1524-1525, forms of “parmense” cheese were distributed to the soldiers who defended the city. However, always to remain within the historical context, it is unlikely that there were any at the Repentita.
The “Soup Rule”
The Sodalizio dei Cavalieri della Zuppa alla Pavese, established on 10 October 2010 to preserve and spread the tradition of Zuppa alla Pavese, has defined the “Rule of Zuppa” which, following what can be considered the historical recipe, or which comes closest to the presumed reality, provides as ingredients: skinless chicken broth, toasted stale wholemeal bread, raw egg and fresh watercress.
The preparation dictated by the Rule states: heat the broth by bringing it to the boil; place a slice of toasted stale wholemeal bread on the plate; place the egg on the bread, taking care not to break the yolk; just before pouring the broth, add some watercress; quickly pour in the boiling broth, allowing the egg white to thicken.
In photo: Cascina Repentita: the hearth where Zuppa alla Pavese was supposedly cooked
