RECIPE OF THE MONTH | April 2009

Zurrukutuna:: Zurrukutuna is a traditional Basque soup made with sopako (*) – toasted bread crust – and cod ::

:: Ingredients ::100 ml of ArteOliva oil3 cloves of garlic2 or 3 pieces of crumbled desalted cod (of the type used for cooking in sauce)1 roll of soup bread or “sopako” (*)3 skinned “choricero” peppers (dried sweet red peppers)1 hot chilli pepper1 poached or whisked egg

:: Method ::Put 100 ml of oil and 3 garlic cloves (whole, so that they can be taken out later, or chopped up,for leaving in the soup), according to taste, in a casserole. After lightly frying the garlic, take thecasserole off the heat. When the oil is warm, add the crumbled cod and blend until you havea homogeneous paste. Cut a roll of bread for soup or “sopako” into pieces, sauté in a frying panand slowly put it into the casserole. Add water or broth until the bread is covered and leave to boil on low heat. Add the fl esh of 3 “choricero” peppers (dried sweet red peppers) which have fi rst been soaked and softened in hot water. They will give the soup its fi nal touch. You can also add some hot chilli peppers and 2 or 3 spoonfuls of tomato sauce, according to taste. :: Presentation :: The soup can be served on its own, with one poached egg per person, or mixed with a whisked egg at the time of serving.

*) Sopako: special bread for soup. “Pistola” bread (hard baguette-style bread used mostly for soup).