PHILADELPHIA PEPPER POT
A TASTE OF HISTORY COOKBOOK provides a fascinating look into 18th and 19th century American history. Featuring over 150 elegant and approachable recipes featured in the Taste of History television series, paired with elegantly styled food photography, readers will want to recreate these dishes in their modern-day kitchens. Woven throughout the recipes are fascinating history lessons that introduce the people, places, and events that shaped our unique American democracy and cuisine. For instance, did you know that tofu has been a part of our culture's diet for centuries? Ben Franklin sung its praises in a letter written in 1770!
With recipes like West Indies Pepperpot Soup, which was served to George Washington's troops to nourish them during the long winter at Valley Forge to Cornmeal Fried Oysters, the greatest staple of the 18th century diet to Boston's eponymous Boston Cream Pie, A TASTE OF HISTORY COOKBOOK is a must-have for both cookbook and history enthusiasts alike.
SERVES 6
See Season 8, Episode 810
In Season 8 of A Taste of History, I had the pleasure of featuring the story of the Mummers Parade, a tradition in Philadelphia that goes back to the seventeenth century. The Mummers still draw crowds of thousands every New Year’s morning for their famous folk celebration.
Upon first entering the Mummers Museum in South Philadelphia, your eyes are immediately drawn to the bold letters painted across the wall—a poem that was chanted door-to-door during the early days of the Mummers:
Here we stand before your door,
As we stood the year before;
Give us whisky, give us gin,
Open the door and let us in.
Or give us something nice and hot
Like a steaming hot bowl of pepperpot!
There are a couple of variations to this spicy soup, including a West Indies variation that I serve at City Tavern. This recipe, however, is the true Philadelphia Pepper Pot—the same soup that would have been enjoyed in the frigid air of January 1 by the elaborately costumed Mummers.
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ pounds cleaned honeycomb tripe (or salt-cured pork shoulder)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cloves
- 3 to 5 tablespoons black peppercorns, crushed
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 quarts Beef Stock
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the tripe (or pork) in cold water, place in a large pan, cover with water, and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and allow it to cool. Cut into bite-size cubes.
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked tripe (or pork), thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, cayenne, and stock to the pot. Add enough water to cover all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Skim off any foam that floats to the top, and continue to simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. Remove rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Serve immediately.
CHEF’S NOTES
- This soup pairs perfectly with a thick slice of Cornbread.
- Tripe, the honeycombed lining of a cow’s stomach, has a long history of use in Spain, France, and Italy. Never willing to waste a single part of an animal, colonials consumed tripe in soups and stews, slow cooked to a buttery tenderness.
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