List of Ingredients
- artisan cotechino sausage
- 1 C. of dried lentils, soaked
- 2 of shallots
- 1 of celery stalk
- 1 of small carrot
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Bay leaves
- Garlic
- Red wine
- Extravirgin olive oil
- Salt
Method
Rinse the cotechino in cold water; if the skin is very thick or dry, let it soak for 30 minutes to soften it. Dry it with a paper towel, then poke holes all over its surface so that the skin doesn't burst during cooking, also favoring the penetration of water into the meat.
Wrap it in a cloth without removing the string tied around it (if there is one), which will help it maintain its shape. Bundle up the cloth and tie a tight knot at the top. Place it in a pot, cover it with cold water and cook for 2 hours from when it comes to a boil. Peel the carrot, celery and shallots, dice or chop them, then sauté them in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of oil, 1 bay leaf and 1 peeled garlic clove for 2-3 minutes. Add the lentils and toast them over high heat for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and half a glass of wine, stir and let simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes, gradually adding 3-4 ladles of unsalted boiling water. Drain the cotechino, remove it from the cloth and remove its skin while still hot. Salt the lentils, place them on a serving platter and place the cotechino on top, cut into slices about 1/2 an inch thick.