The term coratella indicates the innards of a small farm animal, like a chicken, a rabbit or a lamb, as in this case; although traditionally the coratella consists only of heart, liver and lungs, nowadays this term can also be used to include spleen, kidneys and pancreas. Offal is widely used in traditional Italian cuisine and dishes prepared with these variety meats have a strong, very peculiar taste.

Stewed coratella dishes are typical of the Easter period and are a specialty in Central and Southern Italy: in Lazio the offal is accompanied to artichokes, whilst in Umbria the recipe includes tomatoes and chili peppers. As you will find out in the recipe below, the traditional Apulian stewed coratella is prepared with asparagus and eggs – and it’s terribly, terribly scrummy.


Serves: 4 | Preparation time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 50 mins

  • Coratella (lamb’s pluck): 800 g
  • Asparagus: 400 g
  • Pecorino, grated: 100 g
  • Eggs: 3
  • White onions, small: 1
  • Parsley, fresh: 1 sprig
  • Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): 3 tbsp
  • Salt and pepper: to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Method

Mince the onion and the parsley and chop up the coratella in bite-sized chunks. Beat up the eggs in a bowl and set all ingredients aside.

Clean the asparagus: cut off and discard the hard end of the stem, then peel each asparagus to get rid of the external, more fibrous layers. 

Boil the asparagus in salted water; when the asparagus are soft, use a skimmer to remove them from the pot. Cut the asparagus in pieces no longer than 1 to 2 cm.

Tip: Do not throw away the water you cooked the asparagus in, as you will need it later on in this recipe.

Add the asparagus to the beaten eggs, along with the pecorino, the parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Heat up the oil in a pan and pan-fry together the onion and the coratella for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the eggs and asparagus mixture, as well, then add a ladle of the water you used to cook the asparagus and a handful of pecorino and stir well over medium to low heat. If the coratella looks a bit dry, don’t hesitate to add more of the asparagus’ cooking water.   

Let the mixture thicken on very low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then turn off the stove and cover the pan with a lid.

Leave the stewed coratella to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Tip: If you still have some leftover asparagus’ cooking water, have a look at our tips on how to ingeniously re-use it elsewhere in your kitchen: How to Re-Use Cooking Water

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...