Cotechino with Beluga Lentils
Northern Italians traditionally eat this rich and delicious garlic sausage with lentils for New Year’s Eve dinner to bring prosperity and luck. The lentils represent the coins soon to befall all who consume the dish within an hour of midnight, so it’s with this in mind that I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year 2012.
My new year resolution for this site is of course to make it better on every level. There’s so much I would like to improve, the photography, the writing, the recipes… We’ve come a long way over the years but like the Rolling Stones I’m never satisfied. So I’ll keep working on it.
Zen Can Cook is now getting a nice chunk of traffic from just about every country in the world, the majority coming from the USA, Canada, England and Australia and tiny Singapore coming in fifth position. It feels like a full time job at times but it’s all well worth it because the great feedback I receive all the time in comments or by email. So thank you to every single one of you, and see you in 2012.
-
Cotechino with Beluga Lentils
-
- Serves 4
-
-
For the Cotechino:
- 1 fresh cotechino (uncooked)
-
For the Beluga lentils:
- 1 cup Beluga lentils
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- celery leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
-
For the Cotechino:
- Rinse the cotechino and prick several times with the tip of a knife. Place in a large pot of water and bring to a slow simmer. Cover the pot and cook the cotechino for 1 hour.
-
For the Beluga lentils:
- Soak the lentils in cold water for 2 hours. Strain.
- In a medium saucepan heat some olive oil and add the carrots, celery and onions. Cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook for a minute more. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the lentils and a pinch of salt and cook at a very low simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.
- Add the olive oil and the vinegar to the lentils and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Slice the cotechino and serve on a bed of lentils. Garnish with celery leaves.
-