Wrapped cotechino, in Italian cotechino fasciato, also known as cotechino in galera (in prison) or cotechino vestito (dressed cotechino), is a traditional roast from Bologna and my family. It is a robust dish that, paired with a good red wine, is perfect for the cold season.
It is a recipe for special occasions, which I cook when I have guests or during the Christmas holidays. In my childhood home, it was one of the main dishes for the Christmas lunch. In memory of the old days, when we were all still around the table, I still make it.
However, it also works well for New Year’s Eve for those who love cotechino and lentils but want to present the dish in a less traditional way.
But what exactly is it?
A sausage wrapped in a slice of meat
Firstly, a few words about cotechino. The name derives from the rind or skin that dresses cotechino. Like many other sausages, cotechino was born as a way to preserve meat in an era when refrigeration did not exist. The less valuable parts of the pig, such as the rind and the bacon, were minced, mixed with salt, pepper, aromatic herbs, and spices both to flavor them and to aid their preservation, inserted into a casing, and finally dried in a wood stove or on a brazier, then stored in cold home cellars. From the ingredients used, we can tell it was a poor dish, typical of peasant tradition. Still, time has ennobled this specialty by bringing it to the tables of starred restaurants.
Once, each peasant family made its own cotechini according to a secret recipe passed down from generation to generation. I still remember that in the countryside where my great-grandfather lived, the family made cotechini after slaughtering the pig in mid/late November.
I cannot forget the joke made by my friend Anna, who was born and raised in Tuscany, when she said, laughing:
“Monica, we Tuscans eat a lot of meat. But even we Tuscans don’t eat a piece of meat wrapped in another piece of meat.”
It is an ancient recipe dating back to the 19th century.
Artusi presents it as follows (Recipe No. 322, Coteghino fasciato):
“I’m not giving it to you as a fine dish, but as a family dish; it works very well, and you can even serve it to your close friends. […], those who can make it should invite them to their table from time to time to enjoy it.”
He adds that if you want your guests to speak well of you once they return home, this is a dish to cook for family and friends. And I agree with him.
Cotechino fasciato, not in crosta, i.e., wrapped in a layer of shortcrust pastry. These are two different recipes. For the wrapped cotechino, you will need a large, flattened slice of turkey, cooked spinach to add color when you cut the slices, and, of course, a (mini) cotechino.
Cooking notes: how to tie a roast
The idea of tying a roast can be intimidating for those without experience. But it’s a task that, in my opinion, even the least experienced home cooks can master. Don’t believe me? Trust me, and please keep reading.
I took a cooking class and trussed I don’t know how many roasts.
But before that, I did what I could, and I still do.
I still sometimes risk getting tied up with the roast. When that happens, I smile and start over.
That’s the first rule to remember: if you make a mistake, you can start over.
The second essential thing is that if the trussing isn’t perfect, don’t worry. The string will be removed anyway.
How to proceed
Use a thin kitchen string.
Cut a 50 cm long piece and 5-6 shorter pieces (about 12 cm).
Prepare the roast ingredients, and place the open turkey slice on a sheet of parchment paper, with the long piece of string under the slice, right in the center, lengthwise.
The ends of the string should stick out from under the slice.
Arrange the spinach and cotechino as indicated in the recipe, wrap the roast in parchment paper, and try to tuck the ends of the roast inwards.
Use the long string to close the roast lengthwise. Place the shorter strings under the roast, about 2 cm apart. Tie a knot for each string.
Finished!
Wrapped cotechino (cotechino in galera)
A very popular dish along the Via Emilia is cotechino with potato purè. It is also one of my favorite dishes.
Cotechino fasciato is usually wrapped in a slice of veal or pork.
My family’s recipe calls for wrapping the cotechino in turkey, which, like veal, can be cut into a large slice that your butcher can pound thin.
My friend Giuliana from Vignola pointed out to me that this is now a vintage roast. All the more reason to share my family’s recipe.
Buona cucina, Monica
What sides to serve this roast with
Many sides work well with this roast, from mashed potatoes to glazed carrots, which even Pellegrino Artusi suggests (HERE you can find the recipe). But the flavor I love most in this dish is the spring onions with balsamic vinegar (HERE).
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Wrapped cotechino (Cotechino fasciato)
Equipment
- kitchen string
Ingredients
- 300 g of cotechino sausage, 1 mini pre-cooked cotechino sausage If you use a larger cotechino sausage weighing 500 g, you will need a 700 g slice of turkey.
- 500 g of turkey, cut into a single slice and pounded to make it thinner
- 300 g of spinach, boiled and squeezed
- 200 ml of white wine to deglaze
- olive oil, salt, oregano, and black pepper to taste
- 1 piece of kitchen string about 50 cm long; 6-7 pieces of string about 12 cm long
Instructions
- Cook the cotechino sausage according to the package instructions.
- After cooking, open the package and, being careful not to burn yourself, remove the liquid and outer skin from the cotechino. Set aside.
- Lay the turkey slice, pounded to be broad and thin, on a sheet of parchment paper. Place a piece of kitchen string about 50 cm long between the meat and the parchment paper, lengthwise. The string should be below the center of the slice.
- Spread the spinach on the turkey, leaving the edges free. Place the cotechino in the center of the slice.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F), on the static setting.
- Fold the ends of the turkey slice inwards as best you can, then, with the help of baking paper, roll the roast up and close it on itself.
- Use the long string to tie the roast lengthwise.
- Pass the shorter strings under the roast, placing them about 2 cm apart. Tie the ends of each string to hold the roast upright.
- Breathe and don't worry; the string is mainly used to shape the roast, so the filling is unlikely to come out.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Generously grease a roasting tray, place the roast on it, season with salt, pepper, and oregano, and drizzle the surface with oil.
- Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- After this time, remove the cover, add the wine, and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Leave the cotechino to cool completely in the cooking sauce. When the roast is lukewarm, strain the sauce and set it aside.
- Remove the kitchen string and cut the roast into thin slices. Arrange the slices in an ovenproof dish, pour the sauce over them, and, before serving, reheat the roast in the oven, covered, for 10 minutes.
