Tripe.
Like many simple dishes, tripe is eaten all over the world and each country has multiple recipes for its preparation. When I could, I tasted tripe in all the countries I visited, and there are many, but I think the strangest way I ever tasted it was in Hong Kong. During the period of about nine months that I was lucky enough to spend on a ship operating in the Far East, when I had the chance, I tried local dishes, especially those of Hong Kong where the restaurants that serve typical dishes very quickly at very low prices are countless. I began to appreciate oriental cuisine on the ship, tasting the dishes of the kitchen for the crew where there are chefs able to satisfy the dietary needs of the different ethnic, religious and cultural groups of the various members of the staff. These curiosities of mine had a great answer when I met a great Chinese Chef on a ship who alternated the preparation of excellent Chinese dishes with the classic offering of typical Italian cuisine made by another excellent Italian Chef. In Hong Kong, as in almost all of Asia, you can eat anything at any time and I took advantage of every half hour to be able to go out and try some dishes. Of course I didn't go out alone but with a Chinese colleague of mine who guided me in choosing the dishes after describing their composition and, returning to tripe, which is consumed in abundance also in Chinese cuisine, I was intrigued by a soup of various vegetables with the classic rice "noodles", enriched by abundant pieces of caramelized tripe. This tripe was so good that I asked for a double portion in the cup...
As in all regions of Italy, even in Liguria, tripe is part of the poor cuisine and in our house, apart from my son, we all eat it with pleasure. I must say that tripe, whether it is parmigiana, Milanese, Tuscan, etc., is basically prepared in the same way and therefore I will describe to you how we prepare it in my house.
First of all I get the best quality tripe possible from a trusted butcher or, better, from a tripe shop in Chiavari, the only one left and which has a very ancient tradition. For four people I have about a kilo of mixed tripe prepared… I know it's a lot but you have to remember that the tripe you buy has already undergone pre-cooking, even if short, and that it contains a lot of water.
I then make a fairly coarse base with onion, celery, carrot and a clove of garlic, I soak a few dried mushrooms and prepare separately four nice potatoes, a little tomato paste, a few Taggiasca olives, a handful of pine nuts. On a stove I heat up a little meat broth (or I do it directly with a little vegetables).
After having gently fried the bottom in extra virgin olive oil (not a lot) I add the very finely chopped tripe, add a little salt and let all the water in them come out. After this operation you will realize that, after all, the kilo of tripe will have reduced a lot... but don't worry because the potatoes will still need to be added...
Once the tripe has been well flavored, I bathe it with a little white wine and let it evaporate. Then I add a little hot broth, the tomato paste, the soaked and chopped dried mushrooms, the olives, the pine nuts and the potatoes cut into large cubes. I leave it to cook over a moderate heat, checking the cooking and adding broth if necessary. The tripe will be ready when the potatoes are cooked. Before serving, I add a little chopped parsley. At the table, for those who like, you can add grated cheese.
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