🍲 Kawlata (Maltese Vegetable and Pork Soup)

Ingredients

Meats

• 4 fresh whole Maltese sausages
• 4 shoulder-cut pork chops (ideally left attached in one piece and separated only after cooking)
• 1 piece (300 g) fresh pork belly, salt-cured gammon, or smoked bacon

Other ingredients

• 1 ham hock or a pig's trotter (not boned)
• Oil for frying the onion
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 whole medium cabbage, cut into medium chunks
• 2 large potatoes, cut into medium chunks
• 1–2 kohlrabi, cut into medium chunks
• 1 large slice of red-fleshed pumpkin (qargħa hamra; optional), cut into medium chunks
• 1 large slice of yellow-fleshed pumpkin (qargħa Torka; optional), cut into medium chunks
• ½ ea. medium cauliflower (optional), cut into medium chunks
• 3–4 carrots (optional), cut into medium chunks
• Chopped green celery leaves (Maltese krafes)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1–2 tbsp tomato paste, diluted with a little water
• A few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, and scald the hock or trotter in it for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the hock or trotter, discard the water, refill with fresh water and bring to the boil again.
3. Place the hock or trotter in the boiling water with the other meats you are using, turn heat down, and cook a few minutes, skimming scum from the surface.
4. When there is no more scum forming, remove the meats from the water. Reserve both the cooking water and all the meats.
5. In a pot over medium heat, soften and wilt the onion in the olive oil without letting it brown.
6. Add the cabbage, potatoes, kohlrabi, pumpkin, cauliflower, carrots, and celery leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and sweat together on low heat for 5–6 minutes
7. Add the tomato paste and reserved meats.
8. Add some of the water in which you boiled the meats (the quantity depends on whether you want a one-dish stew or a two course meal, see below). Simmer over moderately low heat until the meats are tender.
9. Five minutes from the end of cooking time, taste and adjust for seasoning, then add the chopped flat leaf parsley.