AuthorBen WatsonCategoryMain Ingredient, SausageHailing from the Modena region, this classic Italian dish is traditionally served on New Year’s Eve. Local custom has it that eating a portion of cotechino before midnight is a good omen for the New Year as lentils and legumes signify longevity, fair winds and good luck. A real traditionalist would serve Zampone (sausage meat in a boned-out pigs trotter) but these days, it’s usually cotechino. The delicious thick sausage is made from what, until recently, were considered to be secondary cuts of meat (shoulder and belly) with a bit of finely minced rind and is meant to be served sliced to resemble coins and therefore prosperity. These days, cotechino is normally cooked, and sold in gold or silver foil bags, so just needs slicing and reheating. In the best BFS tradition, we’ve made our own, cured and cooked, so just needs slicing and lightly frying until it begins to char around the edges. If you’re feeling brave, the lentil/salsa verde combo also works well with ox tongue – but not on New Year’s Eve because you won’t get the good luck. The piquant salsa verde pairs perfectly with the cotechino so definitely isn’t optional here. Salsa verde recipes are easy to find but we make ours with four parts parsley, two parts of basil, one of mint and half of tarragon, plus the usual suspects of garlic, capers, anchovies, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil. It’s a punchy little number.
• Soak your lentils overnight, drain and wash to check for stones. • Sautee the onion, celery and bacon in the olive oil; adding in the garlic once the bacon has begun to brown. • When the vegetables are soft, add in the lentils and stir. Then add the stock. • Gently cook until the lentils are tender (roughly half an hour) • Once the lentils are nearly cooked, slice and lightly fry the BFS cotechino in a frying pan until the edges begin to crisp and bend. • Serve the cotechino on a bed of lentils and pour over your salsa verde.