Indispensable for the New Year’s Eve dinner, here are some tips on how to cook cotechino and pair it in the best ways.
Whether it’s cotechino or zampone (the only difference is that zampone is wrapped in the pig’s front leg), they are typically prepared in northern Italy with a coarse chop of pork and rind.
Cotechino can be sold fresh or in the classic vacuum-sealed aluminum packages, hence pre-cooked.
I’ve compiled a collection of delicious recipes with cotechino to save and prepare.
Although there are excellent quality pre-cooked cotechinos available on the market, it is always preferable to visit your trusted butcher and get a cotechino possibly made by him, and very fresh.
Below, I’ll leave you some great appetizers for using cotechino differently, and then we’ll discover how to cook cotechino and pair it in the best way right after the photo.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to Cook Cotechino
- 1 cotechino (fresh or pre-cooked)
- to taste water
Steps to Cook Cotechino and Pair It
Soft and melting on the palate, the cotechino must be perfectly cooked to avoid being rubbery or hard.
The best way is to soak the fresh cotechino for at least 1 hour in lukewarm water.
Then, it is pierced in several places with a toothpick and wrapped in a clean, unscented cloth, tied at the ends.
Now place the cotechino in a pot that holds it well stretched out and cover it with fresh water.
Turn on the heat and bring the cotechino to a boil, lowering the heat as soon as it starts to boil.
Let the cotechino cook over low heat for at least 2 hours for a small 600-700 gram cotechino.
Once cooked, drain it, remove the skin gently, and slice it.
A different approach is needed for the pre-cooked cotechino packaged in vacuum-sealed aluminum bags.
In general, the pre-cooked cotechino should be immersed with its bag in already boiling water.
Let it cook (unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer) for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Whether pre-cooked or fresh, one of the classic and most successful pairings on New Year’s Eve tables is cotechino with lentils, which according to tradition, are a good luck charm.
Another classic pairing is cotechino with mashed potatoes, as well as cotechino and polenta.
Spinach, greens, or chicory sautéed in a pan with a clove of garlic and extra virgin olive oil are the ideal side dish for cotechino.
This side dish also helps to cut through the richness.
Are you also wondering what to drink with cotechino? Well, cotechino is fatty, very fatty, and very good, so to cut through the richness, a dry red wine full on the palate, like Lambrusco, is recommended.
The pressure cooker, a great ally in the kitchen, especially when it comes to holidays where there are many dishes to prepare.
Cooking fresh cotechino in a pressure cooker is very simple, you’ll need, besides the cotechino, of course, 1 liter of water and a few bay leaves.
Then place the pierced cotechino in the pressure cooker, wrapped in a cloth and tied at the ends.
Cover with 1 liter of water and add 2 or 3 bay leaves. Close the pot with the lid and turn on the heat.
From the moment of the whistle, lower the heat to a minimum and cook the cotechino for 25 minutes (always for a 600g cotechino).
Turn off the heat, let the pot vent, remove the cotechino with a slotted spoon, and let it rest for 5 minutes before removing the casing and slicing it.
Wait, before you go, I’ll leave you with my FACEBOOK PAGE if you want to be updated every day with my recipe.
How to Cook Cotechino and Pair It, Storage
Once cooked, cotechino can be stored in the fridge for 2 days, well closed in an airtight container.
Or, if you have it in quantity and don’t want to consume it immediately, you can freeze it either raw or already cooked and cold in a food bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
