Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Friselle | 4 |
| Pre-cooked Cotechino | 100g |
| Dried Lentils | 75g |
| Chicory (Cicoria) | 70g |
| Celery | 30g |
| Carrots | 30g |
| Garlic | 1 clove |
| Fresh Chili Pepper | 1 |
| Bay Leaves | 2 |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | to taste |
| Fine Salt | to taste |
| Black Pepper | to taste |
Instructions
-
Prepare the Cotechino:
- Start by preparing the cotechino sausage. Follow the instructions on the packaging for cooking. Typically, you will need to cook it in cold water. Once the water comes to a boil, allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.
- After cooking, carefully remove the cotechino from the water. Open the casing, and let the gelatin drain out, being very cautious not to burn yourself. Place the cotechino on a cutting board and slice it into pieces.
-
Cook the Lentils:
- Rinse the lentils thoroughly under cold running water, then place them in a pot filled with cold water.
- Add the bay leaves to the pot.
- Once cooked (about 30 minutes, depending on the type of lentils), drain the lentils into a colander and discard the bay leaves.
-
Prepare the Vegetables:
- Clean the chicory by removing the base. Cut the stalks vertically into halves, then chop them into 2 cm pieces. Rinse thoroughly.
- Peel the carrot and celery. Finely chop both the carrot and celery with a knife.
- Remove the stem from the fresh chili pepper and finely chop it.
-
Sauté the Vegetables:
- In a wide pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped carrot, celery, and garlic clove to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the chopped chicory to the pan and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes, until the chicory wilts and softens.
- Once the chicory is cooked, add the drained lentils to the pan and sauté everything together for another few minutes to blend the flavors.
- Remove the garlic clove from the pan.
-
Assemble the Dish:
- In the bowl with the liquid leftover from cooking the lentils (it should still be warm), briefly soak the friselle bread. Make sure the bread is dipped just long enough to absorb some of the liquid but not become soggy.
- Place the soaked friselle on serving plates.
- Top the friselle with the lentil and chicory mixture, then finish with the cubes of cotechino sausage.
-
Serve and Enjoy:
- Season with a pinch of fine salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve your Friselle with Cotechino and Lentils immediately as a delicious, hearty appetizer!
This dish combines the rich flavors of Italian tradition, bringing together tender lentils, fresh vegetables, and savory cotechino on crunchy friselle bread. Perfect for an appetizer that is both comforting and full of flavor!
