Xavier Soup

Photo from here

There are many feast days in Italy, associated with the many Saints. People will either celebrate with big Festas, with smaller feasts with friends and family, or sometimes just at home with their family eating a meal in the usual way but with the designated food for that particular day.

One of these meals is Xavier Soup, also spelled Xaver Suppe. It's the meal for the celebration of St Francis Xaviour (1506-1552) an aristocrat from Spain who became a prolific missionary travelling to places previously never visited by the Catholic faith, such as India, Japan and Borneo. He also co-founded the Society of Jesus. His feast day is December 3rd, and this soup is meant to be eaten on that day.

Copied from Catholic Cuisine which in turn came from Cooking with the Saints.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, white
• pinch of nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped (for dough)
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tablespoon chervil, chopped
• 2 Tablespoon parsley, chopped (for soup)

DIRECTIONS:

Over low heat work the flour, cream, butter and Parmesan cheese to a solid dough. Work in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, eggs and egg yolks and parsley. Put the mixture into a piping bag with a big nozzle and pipe pea-sized balls onto a buttered tray. Let stand for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime heat some salted water until it boils, then drop in all the "dough peas". Cook for 5 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon and add to the warm chicken stock. Season soup to taste and add the chervil and 2 tablespoons parsley.

Serves 10 to 12 people.

Today, the 28th April, the feast Day is for St Gianna Beretta Molla. Tomorrow, 29th April, is for St Catherine of Sienna. Neither having a dedicated food for their feast days, actually, so if you have any ideas for celebratory food for them do let me know.