I first heard of this classic Argentario dish one beautiful day out on the near-empty beach of La Spiaggia Lunga with our friends, Umberto and Alessandra. We took their boat out to get there – a quick zip out from Porto Ercole’s hushed port and just a little wading to reach the shore – and soaked up the sun while the conversation, inevitably, led to food. They recounted how there was once a family who would set up a bonfire on the beach every Ferragosto (the holiday of all holidays, it falls on 15 August, when most Italians are on a beach and a big family lunch is traditional). The family would cook up a pot of scampi and potato soup so elaborate that other beach-goers thought they were running a restaurant.
Inevitably we started discussing the recipe – Alessandra sometimes adds zucchini (courgettes) or strips of red capsicums (bell peppers), too – and I found myself salivating at the thought of this scampi soup, ladled over crisp, grilled, garlicky bread.
Usually, small scampi (scampetti) are used for this – but if you’re looking for a cheaper (though no less flavourful) version, there’s a similar traditional dish made with sardines instead of scampi, Zuppa di Sarde e Patate.
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Method 7
Remove the heads and shells of the and set aside the meat and tails. In a saucepan over high heat, toast the heads and shells for about 2 minutes (no or anything else necessary).
Pour over the cold , bring to the boil and turn down the heat. Let it simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, then strain. Set aside the scampi stock.
In a wide frying pan, heat the over low heat and gently cook the chopped and for 5 minutes. Pour over the , turn the heat up to medium and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the , the scampi stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the and cook for 15 minutes or until they are just tender, then add the and the and cook for a further 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill (broil) the slices of or put in a low oven to dry out slightly. Rub with the whole .
To serve, place a slice of in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup over the top.
