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Cotecchino con Lenticche |
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| Category: | Entrées |
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| Source: | Adapted from Mario Batali Holiday Food |
| Description: | Adapted from Mario Batali Holiday Food. Sausage and lentils are a traditional New Year's dish in Italy. The sausage rounds are thought to resemble coins and symbolize good fortune in the coming year. Cotecchino is a sausage from the Emilia-Romagna region. Batali describes it as "highly seasoned, with a lot of action, a lot of flavor, and you don't eat a lot of it. It's rich and heavy and unctuous. It's a good example of Emilian cuisine, and the perfect foil for the balsamic vinegar." It is available at specialty markets and in Italian groceries. Wine recommendation: A young Morellino di Scansano, such as Poggio Valente 1998 |
| Ingredients: | 6 cups water 1 tablespoon sea salt, plus more to taste 8 ounces dried lentils 2 cloves garlic 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice 12 fresh sage leaves 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup high-quality commercial balsamic, such as Aceto Manodori Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 Cotecchino sausages, about 1 pound each |
| Directions: | Bring 6 cups water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the lentils, garlic, carrots and sage. Boil until the lentils are tender yet firm, about 20 minutes. Drain in a colander over the sink and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
Prick the sausage with a pin about 30 times, every quarter-inch. Place in a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a very low boil and cover the pot. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Place the marinated lentils on a large serving platter to form a bed for the cotecchino. Remove the cotecchino from the cooking liquid and drain. Slice the cotecchino into 1/4-inch rounds and place on a platter over the lentils. Drizzle with a little extra vinegar and serve immediately. |
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