Cotechino Modena IGP con Lenticchie

Ingredients

• 600 g cotechino Modena IGP, natural casing, fresh (not pre-cooked)
• For the lentils
• 300 g Castelluccio or Beluga lentils, dried, no pre-soaking required
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 750 ml water or light vegetable stock, enough to cook lentils until just tender
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, to season at the end
• To serve
• 1 tbsp Dijon or coarse-grain mustard, served alongside, Modenese winter tradition

Method

1. 1
   Pierce the cotechino casing 8–10 times with a fine needle, distributing the punctures evenly along its length. Place in a pot large enough to hold it flat and cover with cold water. Bring the water slowly to 85–90 °C — a lazy, occasional bubble at the surface, never a rolling boil. The casing should be intact and pliant before the long poach begins.
2. 2
   Maintain the water at 85–90 °C for 2.5–3 hours. This is where the dish lives or dies: a vigorous boil splits the casing and drives moisture from the interior, destroying the gelatinous, unctuous texture that defines cotechino. Monitor the temperature throughout; adjust the heat as needed to hold that sub-boiling quiet tremor. The casing will be taut and the sausage visibly swollen when the rind has fully gelatinised.
3. 3
   Remove the pot from the heat and rest the cotechino, still submerged in its poaching liquid, for 15 minutes. The interior continues to set during this rest; slicing before it is complete yields a filling too liquid to hold its shape.
4. 4
   While the cotechino poaches, build the soffritto: warm the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low flame. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat gently until softened and faintly golden — approximately 12–15 minutes. The vegetables should smell sweet and cooked through, with no raw edge remaining.
5. 5
   Add the dried lentils to the soffritto and stir to coat. Cover with the water or stock, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered for 25–35 minutes until the lentils are tender but intact — they must hold their shape against the cotechino. The cooking liquid will thicken naturally from the lentil starch. Season with salt only when the lentils are fully cooked. Taste: the lentils should be earthy and firm, the broth lightly thickened.
6. 6
   Lift the rested cotechino from its liquid and slice into rounds approximately 1.5 cm thick, using a sharp knife in single, decisive cuts. The slices should hold their circular form, the filling gelatinous and unctuous, with a clear distinction between rind, fat, and lean meat visible at the cut face.
7. 7
   Spoon the warm lentils onto warmed plates as a bed. Lay the cotechino slices over. Place a tablespoon of mustard to one side of the plate. Serve immediately while both components are hot.