|
 |
| Zampone and Lentils for New Year's Eve |
| Serves:6 |
| Although this is too substantial for a true first course dish, I have included it because of the special place it occupies in Italian cooking. Eating zampone and lentils late at night on New Year's Eve is believed to bring good luck throughout the following year. Authentic zampone is difficult to find. More readily available are Cotecchini, seasoned like zampone but stuffed into regular sausage casings. Any fresh (not smoked or cured) garlic sausage can be substituted for the zampone. Serve with a big salad. |
Origin: Italian
|
Ingredients:
1 zampone (about 3 pounds*) or 2 pounds Cotecchini or
another fresh Italian garlic sausage
1 pound brown lentils
1 small carrot, diced fine
1 small onion, diced fine
1 celery rib, with leaves, diced fine
1/4 cup COLAVITA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice
|
Preparation:
1. Fill a large kettle with enough water to cover the sausage. Add enough kosher salt to make the water mildly salty. Add the sausage and place over medium heat. 2. Heat the water to boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sausage is cooked through, about 1 hour for zampone, less for other sausage. 3. While the zampone is cooking, prepare the lentils. Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold running water, picking them over. Place in a 4 or 5 quart pot and cover with cold water. Add the carrot, onion and celery. Heat to boiling over high heat, reduce the heat to simmering and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes or slightly longer for older or larger lentils. 4. Remove the zampone from the water to a cutting board. Slice into 1/2" rounds. Drain off all but a few tablespoons of cooking liquid from the lentils. Beat in the olive oil and garlic with a wire whisk. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper and lemon juice. Spoon the lentils into the center of a serving platter, surround with sliced zampone.
|
|
|
|
