CookEat Recipe
Veal-Wrapped Cotechino
Fresh cotechino wrapped in a thin veal slice, gently braised with coarse vegetables and dried mushrooms, then sliced and served with its strained juices.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 300 g fresh uncooked cotechino sausage, with its casing removed while raw; 250 g lean veal in one broad thin slice; 30 g butter; Quarter of an onion, cut into coarse pieces; 40 g celery, coarsely cut; 50 g carrot, coarsely cut; About 500 ml water, or enough to reach halfway up the wrapped sausage; 10 g commercially sold dried edible mushrooms.
Step 2
Pound the broad veal slice thin enough to wrap around the sausage. Remove the raw cotechino casing and enclose the sausage in the veal. Tie securely all around with food-safe kitchen string. Do not add salt or pepper; the sausage supplies its seasoning.
Step 3
Put the wrapped sausage in a snug casserole with the butter, coarse onion, celery and carrot, all together from the start. Brown gently on every side, about 10–15 minutes, turning with two broad utensils.
Step 4
Soak the dried mushrooms according to their pack instructions, drain, rinse away grit and cut into small pieces. Add them to the casserole with enough water to reach halfway up the wrapped sausage. Cover and simmer very gently, turning occasionally, for about 120–150 minutes or according to the raw sausage supplier’s cooking guidance. Add water as needed to prevent drying and check that the centre of the cotechino reaches at least 74°C and is tender.
Step 5
Lift the wrapped sausage out and keep hot at 60°C or above. Remove every piece of string. Strain the cooking juices, return the cooked mushrooms to the liquid and discard the coarse vegetables. Slice the wrapped cotechino to show its veal covering and serve with a little of the mushroom juices around it.
Step 6
For the pasta accompaniment, include 40 g additional prosciutto or pancetta with the vegetables at the start. After cooking and straining, lightly colour 1 teaspoon flour in 10 g butter in a small pan, pour in the reserved juices with mushrooms and simmer to thicken. Cook about 200 g macaroni in water, drain and dress with part of this sauce, 10 g additional butter and 30 g grated cheese. Keep enough sauce to serve around the wrapped sausage separately.
Step 7
For a carrot side, boil 400 g carrot pieces until about two-thirds tender, roughly 8–10 minutes, drain and finish for about 5–10 minutes in part of the cooking juices. A broad slice of beef may replace the veal in the same 200–300 g range; retain the raw cotechino and check the same 74°C centre.
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