Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Lamb Tripe Cooking Liquid:
• 2 gallons water
• 4 cups mirepoix*
• 2 bulbs garlic, split
• 1 bunch thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon fennel seed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 vanilla pods, split
  
  *Mirepoix is a mixture of equal amounts of diced carrots, onions, celery sautéed in butter.
  
  Tripe and Trotters:
• 3 pounds unbleached honeycomb tripe*
• 4 pig’s trotters, split
• 1 batch lamb tripe cooking liquid (see recipe)
  
  *Honeycomb tripe is the second stomach of a cow. It is meaty and tender, and is usually sold bleached and partially cooked.
  
  Stew:
• Prepared tripe and trotters
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 yellow onions, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 fennel, diced
• 5 sprigs rosemary, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 quarts San Marzano tomatoes, milled
• 1 egg whipped
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 6 leaves basil chiffonade
• 6 leaves mint chiffonade
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  
  Garnish:
• Crusty Bread
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic
• Lemon, halved

Method:
For Lamb Tripe Cooking Liquid:
Combine all ingredients in a large non-reactive stock pot.

For Tripe and Trotters:
Rinse the tripe very thoroughly with cold water until the water runs clear and no grit is detectable. Heat the lamb tripe cooking liquid, and simmer the tripe and trotters for 4 hours, until very tender. Allow the tripe and trotters to cool overnight in the cooking liquid. Remove them from the liquid and rinse with cold water. De-bone the trotters; discard the bones and set the meat and tripe aside. Reserve 2 cups of the strained cooking liquid.

For Stew:
Cut the tripe into 1-inch pieces and the trotters into ½-inch pieces; set aside. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed non-reactive pan; add the onions, carrots, fennel, rosemary and garlic. Lightly caramelize the vegetables and then deglaze the pan with red wine; reduce the liquid.

Add the milled tomato and cook for 5 minutes; then add the diced tripe and trotters. Simmer the stew slowly for 1 hour to thicken and intensify the flavor, stirring occasionally. If the stew is getting too thick add a bit of the tripe braising liquid to moisten. It is best to let the stew sit overnight to fully develop the flavors.

Bring the stew to a boil and then whisk in the whipped egg and Parmesan cheese; then add the basil and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For Garnish:
Grill the bread and rub with garlic and lemon.

To Assemble and Serve:
Divide the stew among warmed serving bowls. Dust the top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with a chunky slice of the grilled bread.

Wine Pairing
Incanto’s sommelier Ed Ruiz has fun pairing this dish because he says there are plenty of options. A great choice would be a rich style of Franciacorta with nutty and yeasty overtones. A super Friulian with a good dose of Chardonnay would also work well. If you prefer red wine, a Valpolicella that shows its sense of place would be a good choice. Alternatively, try an earthy blend of Sangiovese and Sagrantino of Montefalco in Umbria, being careful not to choose a wine that is too tannic.