A Traditional Italian Sausage for Festive FeastingThe Cotechino sausage hails from the Modena region of Italy and is a cherished winter dish, traditionally served with lentils at Christmas and New Year. It’s a wonderful example of rustic provincial fare that, when prepared with care, delivers deep, satisfying flavour. This classic Italian* sausage is made with pork cheek and requires long, gentle simmering to break down its natural gelatin. The key to perfect Cotechino lies in patience — don’t be tempted to rush. When cooked slowly, the result is meltingly tender and richly moreish. Our Cotechino sausage serves two generously and makes an ideal centrepiece for a cold-weather feast. Valentine Warner shares his favourite ways to serve Cotechino:"This is among my favourites for autumn and winter eating; it’s a most delicious Italian sausage for its gluey, gelatinous pig cheek offering. Poach the sausage at barely a wobble for 60–90 minutes and then allow to cool before slicing and frying. Reserve the stock — this may become a soup or braise to which the sausage would be deliciously returned. A fortifying soup of, say, braised cannellini beans and cotechino, with a hint of chilli heat and barely a touch of white wine and tomato. Similar to a pommes aligot, I like to load up a potato purée with beaten-in Taleggio and raw garlic, the sliced and fried sausage then settled on top. Such a plate will certainly need a good glass of wine to help melt it away from the artery walls. But who cares, as I eat for joy! Alternatively, make a sharp little salad of Puy lentils, diced carrot and fresh parsley, and jewel it with some chopped-up, syrupy Italian mustard fruits or pickles, arranged between glistening circles of seared sausage. Go nuts and stuff a duck with pre-poached cotechino and serve with a fairly intense red wine and honey jus, the plate decorated with whole roast or candied chestnuts beside the lucky duck." *We also offer a range of Italian-style options, including Calabrian-Style Sausages, Tuscan-Style Sausages, and Tuscan-Style Sausage Meat.
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