The Carnival of Foiano and Liver and Onion Soup
The Carnival of Foiano is a colorful and fun celebration that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world each year.
But what many don’t know is that behind this celebration, there is an intriguing story; a story about a king…King Giocondo and a very special woman; Maria
Maria lived in a small village near Foiano and ran a modest shop; her most famous dish was liver soup, a secret recipe passed down from generation to generation in her family; but this soup had a magical power that no one could imagine.
One day, the King heard about this liver soup and decided to try it; with the first taste, he was captivated by a flavor so delicious that he couldn’t resist anymore; it was as if he was enchanted by the soup itself. But beyond the taste, there was something else that captured him…Maria!
Maria was a woman of great beauty, with long black and slightly white hair and bright, deep eyes; the king fell instantly in love with her and decided to see her again.
He appeared at her shop, dressed in his royal clothes and made her a proposal… To become his queen!
Maria was surprised and a little scared but, in the end, she accepted so King Giocondo became: King Giocondo of Foiano and, Maria, the liver soup, and the carnival itself, became legend in the country’s history.
And since then, every year during the Carnival of Foiano, Maria’s liver soup is served to partygoers.
It is said that those who taste it can’t resist its flavor and may even fall deeply in love;
so if you’re in the area during the carnival,
make sure to ask for the liver soup; you might not only enjoy a delicious meal but also experience a magical love story; who knows, you might even find your King Giocondo or your Maria with long black and slightly white hair and bright, deep eyes.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
For a good liver soup you need…Liver! And then onions and Tuscan kale…
- 10.5 oz veal liver
- 6 onions
- 6 leaves Tuscan kale
- 2 glasses red wine (I used Chianti from the Arezzo area…)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (Not too fine)
- 1 cup pecorino cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp roast herbs (Rosemary, thyme, garlic, crushed myrtle berries)
- pork netting (Pork netting)
Tools
A pot for cooking, a non-stick pan, and a cutting board for cutting…
Steps
Well dear friends, today I want to share with you Maria’s secret recipe; her liver and onion soup that managed to capture King Giocondo’s heart. I’m not sure if it was the wine or the pork netting, but there’s certainly some hidden trick in this culinary delight.
First of all, Maria would marinate the sliced onions and kale in her red wine, which was actually a kind of magical elixir; this wine was so full-bodied and delicious that it intoxicated everyone who took a sip.
Perhaps it is this secret ingredient that made the king fall in love… But let’s get to the most important part of the recipe, the liver. Maria bought her fresh liver every day from the shop next door…
Then she would chop aromatic herbs and add a handful of bread to create dark dumplings which she would seal with netting;
…But what is this mysterious netting? Well, it’s actually pork netting, the outer part of the liver, which has that delightful fat that gives the soup a unique and irresistible flavor.
Once the onions and kale were softened in the wine…
Maria would sauté them with a bit of oil, add the liver dumplings previously roasted on a hot grill, and combine them with the onions, then let the soup simmer, allowing all the flavors to blend and create an aromatic symphony.
So my friends, if you want to capture someone’s heart or simply delight your palate with a magical soup, I invite you to try Maria’s recipe; perhaps the little red wine will make you fall in love too, just like King Giocondo, but remember it is only a secret between us, so don’t spread the word too much. Enjoy your meal!
Start by marinating the sliced onions and Tuscan kale in the red wine after slicing the kale into strips and the onions into thin slices.
In the meantime, cut the liver into small pieces, add the remaining ingredients…
And mix well to blend the flavors…
Form large dumplings slightly bigger than a walnut and seal them in the netting
Continue until you have used up all the filling.
Then roast them in a non-stick pan; the netting fat will melt and become crispy; let the melted fat drip off…
Then put the pot on the stove and let the wine dry out, and then sauté the onions with a little oil…
Now add the liver dumplings and after thinning with a little hot water, let it simmer slowly so that the onions can dissolve… It takes about an hour…
The soup is ready! Serve it with toasted country bread and a glass of the red wine you used to marinate the onions!
Finished! Delicate and exquisite. Fragrant with memories
Onion soup with liver
It keeps for one day in the refrigerator, I advise against freezing, this is my personal preference. It is certainly a particular soup, well-suited for a rustic dinner, between a good glass of wine and some laughter!
