Sopa Coada
Sopa Coada is a historic Treviso baked layered dish of braised pigeon or guinea fowl, stale rustic bread, and cheese, simmered slowly in rich broth until tender enough to eat with a spoon.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 210 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 560 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep earthenware baking dish
- •Large heavy pot
- •Ladle
- •Tongs
- •Chef knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 560 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt half the butter with a drizzle of oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cooking until soft and lightly golden.
- 3
Add the bird pieces and brown on all sides for eight minutes.
- 4
Pour in the white wine and boil until completely evaporated.
- 5
Add cinnamon, salt, pepper, and two ladles of hot broth, then cover and simmer gently for one hour until tender.
- 6
Lift the meat from the pot, discard skin and bones, and finely shred the meat.
- 7
Grease a deep earthenware dish with butter and place a tight layer of stale bread across the base.
- 8
Scatter shredded meat over the bread, moisten with braising juices, and dust generously with Grana Padano.
- 9
Repeat the layers to fill the dish, finishing with bread, cheese, and remaining butter.
- 10
Pour hot poultry broth over the top until the bread is fully submerged.
- 11
Bake at 140°C for two hours until deep golden and thick enough to cut with a spoon.
Chef's tips
Use genuinely stale, firm-crumbed rustic bread so the layers hold structure rather than turning to mush. Keep extra hot broth on hand to ladle into each diner's bowl if they prefer it wetter, as is customary in Treviso taverns.
Ingredient substitutions
- guinea fowl pieces → farmed squab pigeon for the strictly historical version, or chicken thighs for everyday cooking
- Grana Padano → aged Parmigiano Reggiano
Storage
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to two days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a low oven at 150°C, adding a splash of hot poultry broth to restore moisture.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Baking at too high a temperature, which dries out the meat before the bread thoroughly softens.
- •Using soft commercial sandwich bread, which disintegrates into paste instead of forming distinct layers.
- •Not adding enough broth, leading to a dry casserole rather than a moist brooded spoon dish.
Serving suggestions
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