flipPanada — everyday bread soup
Panada — everyday bread soup
Why this dish? A painter's workshop lived by the rhythm of work, and on non-feast days people ate simply. Panada — stale bread cooked in broth with a bit of cheese and an egg — was the economical dish of Lombard artisan families, nourishing and prepared in an instant between painting sessions.
A thick soup of stale bread melted in broth, bound with an egg and grated cheese, perfumed with nutmeg: comfort for working days.
When I ground my earths and lakes from morning to night, I had neither the time nor the desire for a big meal. So we made panada: yesterday's bread, hardened, left to melt in a good broth with a grating of cheese and a beaten egg to bind it. Some call it a poor man's dish, but ask my pupil Sofonisba: she will tell you that a warm belly holds the brush steadier than an empty one.
- •Stale bread — several slices (base)
- •Meat or vegetable broth — one bowl per person (liquid)
- •Grated Lodi cheese — a handful (binding and flavor)
- •Egg — one (binding)
- •Butter — a knob (richness)
- •Nutmeg — a pinch (flavor)
Panada — everyday bread soup
A thick soup of stale bread melted in broth, bound with an egg and grated cheese, perfumed with nutmeg: comfort for working days.
Why this dish? A painter's workshop lived by the rhythm of work, and on non-feast days people ate simply. Panada — stale bread cooked in broth with a bit of cheese and an egg — was the economical dish of Lombard artisan families, nourishing and prepared in an instant between painting sessions.
When I ground my earths and lakes from morning to night, I had neither the time nor the desire for a big meal. So we made panada: yesterday's bread, hardened, left to melt in a good broth with a grating of cheese and a beaten egg to bind it. Some call it a poor man's dish, but ask my pupil Sofonisba: she will tell you that a warm belly holds the brush steadier than an empty one.
Ingredients (period version)
- Stale bread — several slices (base)
- Meat or vegetable broth — one bowl per person (liquid)
- Grated Lodi cheese — a handful (binding and flavor)
- Egg — one (binding)
- Butter — a knob (richness)
- Nutmeg — a pinch (flavor)
Ingredients
- Stale country bread — 200 g (base)
- Chicken broth — 1 liter (liquid)
- Grated grana padano — 60 g (binding and flavor)
- Egg — 1 (binding)
- Butter — 20 g (richness)
- Nutmeg — 1 pinch (flavor)
Method
- Crumble or cut the stale bread into pieces in a saucepan.
- Pour the hot broth over, add the butter, bring to gentle heat and let the bread break down for 15 minutes, stirring.
- Off the heat, stir in the grated grana then the beaten egg, whisking quickly so it binds without coagulating into strands.
- Grate nutmeg, adjust salt, and serve immediately, very hot.
How it was made : Panada (from pane, bread) is one of the oldest soups in northern Italy, mentioned as early as the Middle Ages; it was a way to use up hard bread, too precious to waste.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a small bowl with a drizzle of new olive oil and a dusting of freshly ground pepper, workshop comfort style.
Bernardino Campi · Charactorium
