Cotechino is an Italian boiling sausage with a distinctive sticky, gelatinous texture that comes from adding pig’s skin to the mix. In fact it gets its name from coteca, the Italian word for ‘skin’. You can buy good cotechino sausages from specialist smallgoods manufacturers, but like me, you might relish the chance of making your own.
For this recipe you’ll really benefit from having made friends with your butcher! Ask him to do the hard work for you in preparing the pig’s head and tongues. You might also ask him to mince the cotechino mix for you, too, once you’ve prepared it. Most domestic mincers will struggle to process the tough skin, but your butcher’s machine will (if you’ll pardon the pun) make mincemeat of it! You’ll also need to ask him for an ox ‘bung’ casing, which will make a nice fat sausage.
I always cook my cotechino in its vacuum-pack (or plastic wrap). It is less likely to burst and, because it cooks in its own juices, the flavours intensify. Use these juices to add extra flavour to the onion and mushroom braise.
Cotechino is traditionally served with salsa verde or with braised lentils, and it is also one of the key ingredients in the Italian dish, bollito misto. Here I serve it with earthy mushrooms and onions, both of which work well with its rich spicy flavour.