Jota Triestina

Ingredients

• 350 g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight
• 500 g sauerkraut, drained
• 400 g potatoes, peeled and diced
• 350 g smoked pork ribs
• 100 g pancetta, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Soak the beans in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain them.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 cm dice.
• Chop the onion finely and dice the pancetta.
• Drain the sauerkraut, rinsing it briefly if it tastes very sharp.

Steps

1. Put the beans in a large pot with 2 litres of cold water, one bay leaf and one whole garlic clove.
2. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour, until the beans are tender.
3. Lift out half the beans and blend them with a ladle of their liquid to a smooth purée.
4. Stir the purée back into the pot.
5. Add the smoked ribs, the diced potatoes and the second bay leaf.
6. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the potatoes start falling apart.
7. Put the sauerkraut in a separate pan with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the cumin seeds and 200 ml water.
8. Cover the pan and cook the sauerkraut over low heat for 30 minutes.
9. Tip the sauerkraut and its liquid into the bean pot and stir everything together.
10. Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan and cook the pancetta, onion and remaining garlic for 6 minutes.
11. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes, until it turns hazelnut brown.
12. Scrape this mixture into the soup and stir it through.
13. Simmer the jota for a final 20 minutes, until it is thick enough to hold a spoon upright.
14. Pull out the ribs, strip the meat from the bones and stir it back into the pot.
15. Season with salt and plenty of pepper, then let the soup settle for 10 minutes before serving.