4 fresh whole Maltese sausages
4 shoulder-cut pork chops (ideally left attached in one piece and separated only after cooking)
1 piece (300 g) fresh pork belly, salt-cured gammon, or smoked bacon
1 ham hock or a pig's trotter (not boned)
Oil for frying the onion
2 large onions, chopped
1 whole medium cabbage, cut into medium chunks
2 large potatoes, cut into medium chunks
1–2 kohlrabi, cut into medium chunks
1 large slice of red-fleshed pumpkin (qargħa hamra; optional), cut into medium chunks
1 large slice of yellow-fleshed pumpkin (qargħa Torka; optional), cut into medium chunks
½ ea. medium cauliflower (optional), cut into medium chunks
3–4 carrots (optional), cut into medium chunks
Chopped green celery leaves (Maltese krafes)
Salt
Pepper
1–2 tbsp tomato paste, diluted with a little water
A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, and scald the hock or trotter in it for 10 minutes.
10 minutes
Remove the hock or trotter, discard the water, refill with fresh water and bring to the boil again.
Place the hock or trotter in the boiling water with the other meats you are using, turn heat down, and cook a few minutes, skimming scum from the surface.
When there is no more scum forming, remove the meats from the water. Reserve both the cooking water and all the meats.
In a pot over medium heat, soften and wilt the onion in the olive oil without letting it brown.
Add the cabbage, potatoes, kohlrabi, pumpkin, cauliflower, carrots, and celery leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and sweat together on low heat for 5–6 minutes
5–6 minutes
Add the tomato paste and reserved meats.
Add some of the water in which you boiled the meats (the quantity depends on whether you want a one-dish stew or a two course meal, see below). Simmer over moderately low heat until the meats are tender.
Five minutes from the end of cooking time, taste and adjust for seasoning, then add the chopped flat leaf parsley.
- •If using salt-cured gammon, soak in cold water over night to remove the saltiness.
- •Maltese sausages are made of ground lean and fat pork with garlic, parsley, salt, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds.
- •It is not traditional to cook pasta in the soup, neither is it customary to grate cheese on top.
- •If serving as a one course meal, you are aiming for a chunky stew, so you don't want to add too much liquid. Serve with crusty bread.
- •If serving as a two course meal, you will want enough liquid to serve a soupy first course. The meats you remove, slice if necessary and keep warm to serve alone or maybe with a little light tomato sauce. You can cook a small amount of rice in the vegetable soup if you wish, though it is hardly necessary.