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www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 gently reheating the cotechino, all you have to do is prepare the lentils and serve. Cotechino is made from fresh pork, fatback, nerves and pork rind, along with various spices. Some producers add wine as well as other flavorings and preservati- ves. Historically, this is a recipe that anyone could afford, even poor peasant families. There are many variations of co- techino with lentils, some regions using lentils and polenta to accom- pany cotechino, especially regions such as Friuli and Veneto where polenta is more common and eaten most days. Ingredients • 1 store bought cotechino or zampone (pre-cooked) • 400g lentils • 2 small carrots • 3-4 celery ribs • 5 shallots • 80g pancetta (I used salami I had in the fridge) • 125ml white wine • 200ml can polpa tomato • 1 liter chicken broth • salt & pepper • olive oil • 2 bay leaves Method 1. Rinse/wash lentils in cold running water. 2. Chop carrot, shallots and ce- lery finely, and add to a heavy ba- sed saucepan (I prefer a cast iron Dutch oven) and add a generous splash or two of olive oil. Cook on medium heat slowly until onion is translucent and slightly browned. 3. Add salami or pancetta and bay leaves and cook for about 5mi- nutes, stirring frequently. 4. Add white wine and allow to simmer until reduced. 5. Stir in lentils, mix well with a wooden spoon, and then add the tomato polpa. 6. Cover lentils with chicken broth, and add extra water to ensure lentils are well covered. 7. Continue to cook lentils stir- ring frequently to ensure they don't stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Season sparingly to taste. 8. Transfer Dutch oven from stove top to oven (after about an hour), and continue to cook at 180°C until lentils are cooked. Check liquid level and top up with water if the lentils look dry and are not yet cooked. 9. For the cotechino, follow the instructions on the packet: usually you place the vacuum packed co- techino or zampone in a saucepan covered with boiling water and al- low to boil for 30 minutes. 10. Cut with scissors the corner of the packet, and allow juices to drain out. Cut open completely and gently remove the cotechino Il cotechino e le lenticchie sono un'accoppiata tipica del periodo natalizio e di Capodanno © Toni Brancatisano or zampone. 11. Slice and serve with len- tils. **Some people like to quickly sear the cotechino slices in a frying pan before serving. I like to do this with second day (leftover) co- techino, and it really makes for a great addition to your breakfast or brunch table. Continua da pagina 27 Zamponi freschi, pronti per essere venduti e cotti! © Toni Brancatisano