Morzeddhu Catanzarese
Morzeddhu Catanzarese is a rich, spicy offal stew slow-cooked with tomato and Calabrian chilli, traditionally served stuffed inside rustic pitta bread.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 150 min
- Total
- 180 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 590 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-based pot
- •Colander
- •Chef's knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Tongs
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 590 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the parboiled offal thoroughly under cold water and cut into small bite-sized strips.
- 2
Warm the olive oil in a heavy-based pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the finely chopped onion and cook until soft, sweet, and translucent.
- 4
Add the prepared offal to the pot and brown gently for ten minutes.
- 5
Stir in the tomato paste and crumbled dried chillies until fragrant.
- 6
Pour in the passata and 500 ml water, then add bay leaves, oregano, and salt.
- 7
Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat to minimum and cover with a lid.
- 8
Simmer gently for two hours until the offal is meltingly tender.
- 9
Uncover during the last twenty minutes until the sauce turns thick and deep red.
- 10
Slice the pitta bread into portions, split each section open, and fill generously with hot stew.
Chef's tips
Ensure the offal is properly parboiled and cleaned before slicing to remove any harsh flavours. Dip the cut crust of the pitta into the rich red sauce from the pot before filling it. Authentic morzeddhu is intentionally fiery, so do not shy away from the chilli.
Ingredient substitutions
- pitta catanzarese → crusty ciabatta loaf or hollowed rustic baguette
- mixed offal (tripe, heart, lung) → all beef honeycomb tripe if mixed offal is unavailable
Storage
Store leftover stew without bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rushing the cooking time, which leaves the offal tough and chewy.
- •Under-seasoning with chilli, which diminishes the dish's distinct bold character.
- •Letting the stew dry out completely instead of maintaining a thick, ladleable sauce.
Serving suggestions
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