An Italian New Year’s tradition – usually done with lentils, but mine is cannellini beans all the way – Serve with a chilled and crisp white wine...or with an icy cold beer.
1 lb Cotechino Garlic Sausage (pricked lightly all over with the tip of a steak knife)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large onions, peeled and halved
1 cut carrots, large dice
1 spring fresh rosemary
Water to cover
Marrying the Cotechino and Beans...
3 T good olive oil (California Ranch or any of the Greek Olive Oils)
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cups white wine
1 cup of glace de veau mixed with 3 cups of water
1 lb dried cannellini beans, prepared (recipe below), or do it the easy way and...
Open 3 cans of cannellini beans, rinse and drain.
Directions
Prepare Cotechino with Cannellini Beans
Place the Cotechino and next 4 ingredients into a large soup pot with enough water to amply cover the sausage. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the Cotechino to a plate and cover, and empty the soup pot, discarding any vegetables and rinse it out.
Put the pot back on the stove and add the olive oil and all of the chopped veggies. Let simmer on low until the veggies are starting to soften, 10 minutes. Add white wine and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly.
Add your veal stock and beans.
Add the Cotechino.
Simmer on low for 45 minutes, turning the sausage, stirring the beans, occasionally.
Slice the sausage and serve atop the beans.
We love this with an icy cold beer.
How to prepare beans:
Soak overnight.
Drain and put into pot, cover with cold water up to 3 inches above the beans. Add 2 bay leaves. Boil. Skim. Reduce heat and cook for 1 hour. Add 1T kosher salt, and cook until tender. Drain.
